Category Archives: Essential 100

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Stand By Me

Essential 100—Read:
Ruth 1:1-4:22

“But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!’” ~Ruth 1:16-17

A popular genre of literature when I was in high school and college was the short story. I’m not too sure if it is used much in this day when 500 page novels dominate the market. But one of my favorite short stories was written by Stephen King—yes, he of horror story fame. But King wrote a non-horror short story called, The Body. It was later made into a movie with a new title, Stand By Me—a memorable story about a group of four or five twelve-year old boys, and their outstanding friendship. The story revolved around their shared experiences, loyalty to one another, mutual protection from outside threats and the growth of their friendship through adversity.

That’s the book of Ruth!  It is one of the greatest short stories in the history of literature, and perhaps the greatest story ever about authentic friendship. When Benjamin Franklin was U. S. Ambassador to France, he occasionally attended the Infidels Club—a group that spent most of its time searching for and reading literary masterpieces. On one occasion Franklin read the book of Ruth to the club, but changed the names in it so it would not be recognized as a book of the Bible. When he finished, their praise was unanimous. They said it was one of the most beautiful short stories they’d ever heard, and demanded that he tell where he had run across such a remarkable literary masterpiece.  It was his great delight to tell them that it was from the Bible, which they regarded with scorn and derision, and from which they believed nothing was good.

The book of Ruth is certainly a literary masterpiece. It is a cameo story of love, devotion and redemption set in the bleak context of the days of the Judges. Relationally, this story shows how its three main characters, Ruth, Naomi and Boaz, all from different background, social levels and ages blend their lives together to give us a relational example that is sorely needed today in an age that worships individualism and is characterized by self-centeredness, intolerance and exclusivity. In particular, from Ruth’s relationship with her mother-in-law Naomi emerges three essential characteristics of an enduring and life-giving friendship:

First, it is a relationship where the greatest common denominator is faith in God.  Notice the phrase in those verses:  “Your God will be my God.”  Faith concerns ultimate and eternal matters, and any friendship will be strongest when it has this ultimate concern at the core of its existence.

Second, it is a relationship built on sacrifice:  Notice the words, “Your people will be my people.” In other words, I’ll give up what I want to take on your concerns. I’ll put your interests ahead of my own. What can I do to make you better? I’ll give up in order to give to you. Not “I” but “you” makes for a far better “we”.

And third, it is a relationship that exhibits unbreakable mutual commitment. Did you catch the words, “Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried.  May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, it anything but death separates us.” What a powerful and covenantal bond. When a relationship is based on a non-negotiable like that, it will not be a fair weather friendship.

Faith, sacrifice and mutual commitment! Do you need a friend like that?  Then ask God for one. I hear he answers prayers, so give it a shot!

Do you already have a friend like that?  Maybe you need to tell God how grateful you are for them… and then specifically express how grateful you are to that friend.  Benjamin Franklin said “we should be slow in choosing a friend, even slower in changing.” Why?  Because a true friend is a rare treasure.

But perhaps the most important question is: Do you need to be a friend like that?  Someone once asked this profound question:  “If you were another person, would you like to be a friend of yours?”  Which of the three qualities we’ve looked at in Ruth’s story do you need to cultivate?  What do you need to do to become a better friend?

May God give us, and make us, that kind of a friend!

“Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts, nor measure words, but to pour them all out just as they are, chaff and grain together knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness blow the rest away.”  ~George Eliot

Reflect and Apply: According to the little magazine, Bits and Pieces, a British publication once offered a prize for the best definition of a friend. The winning definition simply state,: “A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.”  If that is the kind of friend you would like to have, then be one.

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The Lust Of The Eyes

Essential 100—Read:
Judges 13:1-16:31

“Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother, ‘I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.’” ~Judges 14:1-2

Samson was a tremendous warrior, a man mightily used of God. He was severely flawed, like all men and women of God, yet the Lord was able to work through his weak flesh to accomplish huge things for Israel. And even though Samson’s ministry—and life—ended in a blaze of glory, it was his weakness that brought both his impact and his life to a premature end. Think of how much more Samson could have accomplished for the glory of God and the good of Israel had he submitted his rebellious flesh to God’s control!

Samson had a glaring weakness—likely the same one that you wrestle with. For sure, it’s a weakness that I battle. What is it?  It is the lust of the eyes—and it is a more deadly serious weakness than I think most of us care to admit.  The Apostle John didn’t mince any words in describing this “I See—Now Give Me” weakness and contrasting it with those who operate on a far higher plane:

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”  (I John 2:15-17)

In the case of Samson, he “saw” an attractive woman, he wanted her, so against his better judgment and the advice of people who cared about the future God had for him, he caved to his weakness to satisfy his selfish flesh—he “got” her. And in his surrender to personal weakness, he short-circuited one of the most brilliant ministries of all time.

So just what are the lessons here for you and me? Among other things, be careful what you ask for—God might just allow you to get it. Likewise, do not confuse what God permits with what God will bless. God may allow the things you lust for, but those things might very well be what shuts you off from his continued favor. Psalm 105:14-15 should serve as a cautionary tale:

“The Israelites lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.”

If you are wrestling with desire for something you have seen—a person, a purchase, a position—rather than saying “I see—now give me”, try exerting the will that God has given you and pray, “Father, what do you want?  Now give me that!”

“Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness.”  ~Napoleon Hill

Reflect and Apply: Offer this sincere prayer to God today—and perhaps every day: “Dear God, destroy in me the things that could destroy me!”

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Bless Your Inadequacy

Essential 100—Read:
Judges 6:1-7:25

“When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.’ ‘But sir,’ Gideon replied, ‘if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, “Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?” But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.’ The LORD turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’” ~Judges 6:12-14

If you are at all like me (perish the thought), you periodically struggle with feelings of inadequacy. Perhaps you get discouraged when you compare your life, your marriage, your kids, your job, your house, or your wealth with another’s. Pastors, including me, are famous for doing this—a lot; we’re pretty skilled at comparing our ministry with some other high profile ministry that seems to be thriving while we feel like we are barely surviving.

For you, maybe the task or the challenge at hand is nothing less than intimidating in light of your inability, lack of resources, dearth of support and the overwhelming odds involved in accomplishing what you need to do. Perhaps at the moment, you feel like you are up the proverbial creek without a paddle.

If you have ever felt that way, you are not alone. That’s exactly how Gideon felt when the angel of the Lord found him hiding in a winepress and called him to lead Israel to victory over the Midianites, a much larger, better equipped, far superior opponent.  Notice this interaction between Gideon and the Lord’s messenger:

“The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, ‘Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!’”  (Judges 6:12, NLT)

Remember, this so-called hero is hiding in fear in the bottom of a winepress.  You’ve got to love the humor of God here—Gideon is anything but a hero or a mighty warrior.  In reality, he is a fraidy cat. But God’s reality is different that ours. The truth is, God saw Giedon, and he sees us, not as we are, but as what we are capable of doing in him.

“Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The LORD brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the LORD has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.” (Judges 6:13, NLT)

Do you sense any comparison to past victories, any feelings of inadequacy, any intimidation here? Absolutely! Gideon is quite busy looking over his shoulder at what once was, instead of looking forward into what God had ordained.

“Then the LORD turned to him and said, ‘Go with the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!’” (Judges 6:14, NLT)

What a powerful truth! We don’t need to go in anyone else’s strength, nor do we need the miracles or victories of the past. God has knowingly chosen us in our current limitedness and has already given us the strength to accomplish what he has called us to do—right now!

If you are discouraged in any way by what you are facing, let me encourage you in the same way God encouraged Gideon (and encourages me every time he finds me hiding in my winepress):

Go in the strength you already have and accomplish what God has called you to do.  God will enable you to experience victory as you step out in obedience to him!

Yes, God is with you, mighty man, mighty woman of valor. Go in the strength you have!

 “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.”  ~C.S. Lewis

Reflect and Apply: Feeling a little inadequate today? Reflect on the following statement: “True courage is not the absence of fear—but the willingness to proceed in spite of it.”

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A Winning Strategy

Essential 100—Read:
Judges 4:1-5:31

“Then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?’” ~Judges 4:14

The inclusion of Deborah’s story in Judges raises all kinds of interesting discussion points about the role of women as spiritual leaders. As tempted as I am to weigh in on this, I won’t at this point, except to say that the very fact the Holy Spirit saw fit to include the account of Deborah’s heroic leadership over Israel ought to open our hearts to the legitimacy of God’s call upon uniquely gifted women in the church today. But I am not going to talk about that…

Easy to miss in her dramatic story is this one little line Deborah delivers to Barak, a very nervous and reluctant man God had chosen to be military leader over Israel at this time. Her words are fraught with all kinds of encouraging spiritual implications for believers today:

“Get ready! This is the day the LORD will give you victory over Sisera, for the LORD is marching ahead of you.” (NLT)

Don’t overlook that line: “The Lord is marching ahead of you.” If that be the case for Barak, and by extension, for you and me, then why would Christians ever need to be worried, anxious, fearful or reluctant to step out on God’s behalf? If that be the case, no wonder Scripture commands us not to fear, but to always be courageous more than any other command.

You see, when God calls a Christian to step out in faith and obedience, in reality, the Lord himself has already gone before them and is there waiting where the step of faith will take them. Yes, he goes before them (Isaiah 52:12), prepares the way for them (Exodus 23:20), he gives them safety and protection on the journey (Deuteronomy 23:14), he guarantees their success (Joshua 1:7-8) and he ensures they end the journey of faith with an outstanding testimony (Deuteronomy 26:19).

That is the winning strategy the prophetess Deborah gave to Barak, and there is a reason it was included in the Holy Scriptures. It was not just for a reluctant nervous leader then, it is for God’s people today. God has given you the same winning strategy: Where God calls, step out, for he has already gone before you—and he is waiting for you at the finish line.

“A man with God is always in the majority.” ~John Knox

Reflect and Apply: Where are you being called to take a step of faith? If you are at all nervous about what is before you, go back and reflect on these verses: Isaiah 52:12, Exodus 23:20, Deuteronomy 23:14, Joshua 1:7-8, Deuteronomy 26:19 and Hebrews 13:5

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The Crazy Cycle Of Sin

Essential 100—Read:
Judges 2:6-23, 3:1-6

“After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel…They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger because they forsook him…In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them…. They were in great distress…Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.” ~Judges 2:10-16

Judges—the seventh book of the Old Testament—stands in stark contrast to the book of Joshua, which tells the story of a courageous leader and a faithful nation conquering their Promised Land through their trust in, dependence on and obedience to God. Sadly, what you see in Judges is what happens when a nation, void of godly leadership, disobeys and strays from the call of God. And it ain’t a pretty picture!

In Judges we find several distinct cycles of sin to salvation and salvation to sin, repeated over and over again from the time of Joshua’s departure to the arrival of the great judge and prophet, Samuel. As you read story after story, you will feel like someone has pushed the repeat button as God’s people keep following this pattern:

Disobedience: Israel wanders from obedience and falls into idolatry, corruption and other patterns of waywardness.

Discipline: After a period of time where God gives Israel a long leash, he begins to discipline them through the cruel domination and subjugation of other nations.  Under the yoke of oppression, Israel finally begins to cry out to God in repentance.

Deliverance:  God raises up military champions who lead Isael to victory over their enemies.  These military leaders then rule or judge Israel during their lifetimes, restoring the nation to pure worship and obedience to God.

Unfortunately, the people of God are slow learners, continually trading in obedience to God and the freedom and prosperity it brings for “that which is right in their own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) So God punishes his people by letting them fall again into the hands of oppressing nations. And once again, Israel cries out to God in repentance, so he raises up a military champion to deliver them. Yet they fall into sin again, and so on the sad cycle repeats itself. As you read Judges, you get this same song, second verse deal happening all the way through the book.

Theologically, however, this otherwise depressing account show a couple of very important truths:

One, sin always leads to suffering. That message was seen before Judges, and you will run into it again all the way forward to Revelation. We need to remember that sin always has devastating consequences. But on the other hand…

Two, repentance always leads to restoration. Even though we might be faithless and disobedient, God is covenantly faithful—always—lovingly and longingly ready to restore the truly repentant. Every time Israel humbly and authentically repents, God patiently forgives and graciously restores.

I suppose the story of Judges is really the story of your life—and mine. Don’t we, too, fall into that same cycle of disobedience, discipline and deliverance? Haven’t you found, like Israel, that sin always leads to suffering, but in repentance, you always meet a restoring God? And wouldn’t it be so much easier to learn from Israel’s story and break that crazy cycle by wisely skipping the sin and suffering part and simply living in the restoration of a repentant lifestyle?

I think that’s why we have Judges. That’s what God wants us to know.

“No price is too high to have a free conscience before God.” ~Francis Schaeffer

Reflect and Apply: Take an honest look at your life: Are you in the crazy sin-cycle of disobedience-discipline-deliverance? Wouldn’t it be so much easier, and wiser, to simply life in the restoration of a repentant lifestyle?

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The Seduction of Celebrity

Essential 100—Read:
Joshua 5:13-15, 6:1-27

“So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.” ~Joshua 6:27

With the advent of television—and all the media technologies that followed—came the rise of the celebrity preacher. Never in the history of Christianity have we had so many famous pastors—and those wanting to become famous—as we do now. If you’re a spiritual leader and you aren’t hawking several books you’ve authored, beaming your mug to adoring congregants in a multi-site campus, tweeting to your six-figure Twitter followers and getting quoted by the media on the issue du jour, you ain’t all that much.

Of course, media technologies now allow us to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world in unprecedented ways—and that’s a great thing. But inherent in this ability to communicate to the masses is the danger of showcasing ourselves. The god of fame is lurking; the seduction of celebrity has never being stronger in the Christian world than it is right now—and that’s not a great thing!

First and foremost, the real job of the spiritual leader is to make Jesus famous!  And if Jesus wants to make the leader famous, well, that’s Jesus’ business.  Joshua was a leader that God decided to make famous.

“The Lord told Joshua, ‘Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites.  They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses.’”  (Joshua 3:7, The Message)

“God made Joshua great that day in the sight of all Israel. They were in awe of him just as they had been in awe of Moses all his life.” (Joshua 4:14, The Message)

“God was with Joshua. He became famous all over the land.” (Joshua 6:27, The Message)

What makes a leader great and opens the door to his or her fame? Some would say charisma is the key. Others might say it’s a combination of skill, intellect and the ability to inspire others to accomplish a compelling mission. Then there are those who would argue that not only are charisma and persuasion necessary, but it’s also a matter of being the right person in the right place at the right time.

I wouldn’t argue with any of those ideas. But above all else I would argue that what makes a leader a great and fame-worthy leader is simply God’s touch upon his or her life. Where God makes a man or woman great in the eyes of the people, there you have the makings of a leader who is one for the ages.  Joshua was just such a leader.

In Joshua, you find true success! Not that he leveraged his considerable talents, sharp intellect, political capital and magnanimous personality to lead the people to victory, but that God made him great in the eyes of the people. Never did Joshua take any credit for himself in the victories and miracles that God performed. As Moses had been a humble leader, so too was Joshua. Like his predecessor, he was a true servant of God and of the Israelites. He served at God’s pleasure and recognized that his success came only by God’s power and grace. And it was God who made Joshua great before all Israel.

That’s the kind of leader I want to be. I want to be a great leader because of the touch of God on my life; because of the work that he does in, for and through me. If there is anything that makes me worth following, may it be because of what God has done. What I do through my own gifts, personality and personal determination will, at best, quickly fade. But what God does through me will last for all eternity, and best of all, bring all the glory to the God who has equipped me to lead.

What about you? Do you desire to be a leader—a person of influence in your home, school, business or some other arena? You might feel unqualified and unworthy. Part of you may want to let someone else lead; someone more qualified, smarter, holier, better than you. But it could be that God has placed in you the kinds of gifts, talents, brainpower and favor that he wants to use in leading people to extend his Kingdom in this world.

If God is calling you to leadership, submit your life to him. Then, if he chooses, let God make you great in the eyes of those you would lead.

“Worldly fame is but a breath of wind that blows now this way, and now that, and changes name as it changes direction.” ~Dante Alighieri

Reflect and Apply: When you think of the advancement of God’s kingdom over the millennia, it is amazing how many times this saying has been true of its leaders: “God didn’t call the qualified; He qualified the called.” Maybe he is wanting to qualify you to spread his fame!

 

 

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Steps Of Faith

Essential 100—Read:
Joshua 3:1-4:24

“Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’ … And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.” ~Joshua 3:9,13

In matters great and small, God always calls his people to steps of faith.  It is simply the law of the Kingdom. Expressing faith in the spiritual realm is akin to inhaling oxygen in the physical realm. That is just the way God operates. In fact, so fundamental to our relationship with God is faith that the writer of Hebrews explains,

“No one can please God without faith, for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 TEV)

In this case, the Israelites needed to cross the Jordan River to take passion of the land that God had promised to give them. Furthermore, the river was at flood stage. Interestingly, Promised Lands never mean lack of problems, challenges, obstacles and otherwise “impossible” situations.

Now God had helped the Israelites all along the way through their forty years in the wilderness, so he would have a plan for them this time, too. So what was the Divine plan? Have the priest carry the ark of the covenant and step out into the river—remember, it’s a swirling, raging torrent—and as soon as they do, God will dam the flooding Jordan upriver and two million Israelites will walk across on dry land.  Right!

Of course, they obeyed, God did what he said he would do, and the Israelites crossed on dry ground.  We get to read ahead in the story, so no big deal, right!  But think of it from their perspective—especially the priests. This was a seriously risky step God was asking them to take.

Now since without faith it is impossible to please God, he will make sure we, too, have plenty of opportunities to express it—and on some occasions, that will mean stepping into our own Jordan at flood stage.  And like the Israelites, we will have to take that step without the perspective of already knowing the end of the story?  So what can we learn from them about those steps of faith? Two things to keep in mind:

First, God already knows the end of the story, even though we don’t. We only see the next step—which often looks scary and impossible. God sees the rest of the road ahead, and he will never ask of us a step that will harm us, but only that which will strengthen our confidence in his care and competence.  Furthermore, while it seems we are taking a step into thin air, God’s track record of faithfulness is to build the highway of faith under our feet, albeit one step at a time.

So go ahead—take the step!

Second, God’s purpose in our steps of faith is always to bring greater glory to himself—through us.  Notice what Joshua said to the Israelites at the end of the story in Joshua 4:20-24—after they had, indeed, walked across the raging Jordan during flood stage on dry ground,

“And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, ‘In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, “What do these stones mean?” tell them, “Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.” For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.’”

Steps of faith from our perspective are never easy, but you can trust God. His best work comes as we take those steps.  And not only does he do the impossible, not only does he bring great glory to himself, he provides you with an enduring testimony. But best of all, the very stuff that is necessary to pleasing God—faith—is dramatically increased in your life.

So go ahead—take that step!

“Faith makes things possible, not easy!”

Reflect and Apply: Are you being called to take a step of faith?  Remember, God is already waiting where that step will take you.