More Bible, Please.

I am in the middle of reading a book about sin. (It's in preparation for a short series right before Easter. I figure that the folk at church will understand better what the resurrection is about if they understand better the problems it came to solve.) Anyway, I just finished the first chapter. This is where the author defines sin and distinguishes it from things that are not sin. And as you can appreciate, this is an important chapter. It establishes the foundation for the rest of the book. You can't talk about sin unless it's clear what you're talking about. Definitions. 

However, as I read it I found myself disturbed. There was so little Scripture. There was one reference to Psalm 51 in the text and another Scriptural reference in a footnote. Now, I'm not expecting that the author would have a long list of all the verses that talk about sin and consider his work done - though I would have thought that a comment about 'sin is lawlessness' from 1 John would have shown up somewhere. That really does sound like at least part of the definition of sin. I also understand that there is to be theological reasoning and not just verse quoting. It's as we do that sort of thing that we find patterns and themes in the Scriptures. How else would the Church have established the doctrine of the Trinity? Theological reasoning. I'm fine with that. But it's supposed to be reasoning that is based on the text of the Bible. It's reasoning that looks at key verses, that looks at the words, works to understand them and then apply them to the question at hand: 'What is sin?' I didn't see this in the chapter. And it's not that the author is some amateur theologian. He has a PhD and is a former president of a seminary in the reformed and evangelical tradition.

To Get Near to God

My grandson is a new cub scout. He was recently given a project to ask his pastor - that would be me - for ways that he could get nearer to God. He told me about this, and we planned a time for him to come over so that we could talk about it. So, being forewarned I thought about what I would tell him. There was a time when my answer would be about a daily time for Bible reading and prayer. However, that's no longer the case. The most important means of drawing near to God is the worship of the saints together on Sunday. 

I realize that this runs counter to our familiar emphasis on the individual. But consider what the Bible says - and doesn't say. The Bible never commands the saints to have a daily time for Bible reading and prayer. I find that quite interesting. I think that it is a good habit, but it is not something that I could teach the people with a 'thus says the Lord', because He doesn't. On the other hand, corporate worship is assumed throughout the Scriptures. And no wonder. This is the time when God meets with His people in a special way. This is when we 'come into His presence[!] with thanksgiving', so that we can 'make a joyful noise to Him'. (Psalm 95.1,2) 

The pattern was set at that first meeting at Mt. Sinai, continues with the role of the Tabernacle and the Temple where God dwelt with His people and then is still followed down to our day now that the Church is the new Temple. This is when we meet with our God in that unique way so that He might instruct us by the reading and preaching of the Word, feed our souls by the Lord's Supper and receive our praise and thanks in response to these and other blessings. The most important way to draw near to God is by attending and being engaged in Sunday worship with the rest of the saints.

Religions Are Weird

When you stop and think about it, our religion is kind of weird. We believe certain things that will sound strange to your average thinking person. For one thing, we believe that some ancient book is a revelation from God. It contains what people throughout the centuries need to know so that we all can live well. This book, since it is a revelation from God, makes no mistakes in all that it teaches. 

And then, we believe that everything hinges on this one man who lived long ago. If a person 'believes in' this fellow then it's all good. People who do this end up in a place that is called 'heaven'. There is only good going on there and nothing bad. People who don't do this 'believing in' are in trouble. They end up in a place called 'hell' and there is only bad there.

Weird, huh?

And yet, when you think about it, every religion sounds weird to anyone who doesn't buy in to it. 

So, atheism seems weird to non-atheists. They believe certain things that will sound strange to your average thinking person.

For one thing, they believe that there is no right way to live. Since there is no god, we all decide for ourselves what is right or wrong. That makes life interesting when we disagree on what should or shouldn't be done. They admit that people will seem to get things wrong from time to time but there's nothing that anyone can do about it.

As a result, everything hinges on yourself. Your life will work or it won't work based on the choices you make all on your own. 

And according to this religion when you die, that's it. There is nothing good or bad that happens after that. You just cease to exist. 

Atheists believe that this way of thinking gives enough reason to get up in the morning and live. 

Weird, huh?

Be Still, My Soul

We sang this hymn during worship on Sunday. There were several of us, myself included, who had to stop singing at one point or other. The hymn was too good. It expressed too well the nature of this life. It's a hymn for those who bump up against the darkness of this life - and there is much darkness. But while the hymn understands the darkness it does not give in to it. There is, after all, hope. Jesus walks with us through this dark valley and promises to bring us out into a brightness that we cannot imagine. In the meantime we exhort our souls to be still and not agitated or anxious or fearful. A better day is coming. Jesus promised.

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side;

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In ev'ry change he faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav'nly Friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as he has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,

And all is darkened in the vale of tears,

Then shalt thou better know his love, his heart,

Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.

Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay

From his own fullness all he takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hast'ning on

When we shall be for ever with the Lord,

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Trembling at His Threats?

I bumped into something in the Westminster Confession of Faith the other day that piqued my interest. 

By this faith, a Christian believes to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God Himself speaking therein; and acts differently upon that which each particular passage thereof contains; yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life, and that which is to come.

It was the 'trembling at the threatenings' that grabbed my attention. So, does God threaten? That doesn't sound very loving. Now, I know that the fellows who wrote this confession were smart guys who knew their Bibles quite well. They might not always be right, but they always had something from the Bible that they thought backed up what they wrote. So, is there something in the Bible to support this claim? 

Another Reason Why I Am Eager to Die

I get to be in heaven. And this morning I thought about another reason why that will be so good. I will no longer be troubled by my sin. And while that means that I won't do stupid things anymore, it means more than that because sin is about more than the things we do. When I get to heaven I will no longer be seduced and plagued by the idols of my heart. They will be exposed as the frauds that they are. I will be free from their schemes and distractions. They will be gone. And as a result of that, I will be able to feel, in a way that I have yet to feel, the love of God for me.

Suffering

We have all been touched by some sort of suffering. It might have to do with our health or relationships or something else. We all know that these sorts of problems are a part of life. And yet, in too many situations, there is a note of surprise when we encounter them, as if to say, 'Why is this happening to me?' 

As I write this I've been reading through Ezekiel. Parts of the book are mystifying or - to be honest - a bit boring (which means I don't really understand what's going on). But parts of it are clear enough. Here's Ezekiel, just some guy minding his own business. And out of the blue he gets drafted by God. He isn't asked. There is no recruitment drive that Ezekiel responds to. God just tells him, 'I have a job for you.' And his life is dramatically changed from that point on. For one thing, God repeatedly has him do things that are supposed to depict the coming destruction of the people of God. And these are weird things like his lying on his one side for a bunch of days and then lying on the other side for some other bunch of days. Then, he was commanded to shave his head and beard (a shameful thing in that day) and then do some odd things with the hair. And then, what has to be the worst, to make a point to the people about the coming destruction, God kills Ezekiel's wife ... and then tells him not to mourn.

So, here is Ezekiel, just a guy working at living faithfully. And how does God respond to his faithfulness? He completely messes up his life.

Can He do that? Does He have the right to mess with our lives? Why would He do such things? That doesn't seem very loving.

Jesus said,

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.  

Jesus is quite clear about our priorities and the cost of following Him. Your life just might turn out to be like Ezekiel's. And yet, there is a promise here also. Losing your life, as Ezekiel did, will mean that you will find real life. Yes, Jesus can mess with your life. But, in the midst of the suffering and as a result of the suffering, He will give a better life - both now and especially later.

Tornadoes

'Tornadoes Rip Through Midwest'. That's the headline. And after a brief response of concern, many, not in the Midwest, return to what they were doing - unless they can put some faces to 'Midwest'. While none of my children in the 'Midwest' were harmed by the tornadoes, some of their friends and relatives were affected to one degree or another. And I know some of their faces. 

One question to pose at a time like this goes something like, 'Does God know what He's doing?' The question assumes that, in one way or other, He's behind what has happened, that He's the one who brought some very real terror into the lives of lots of people. And that, of course, it true. I've never been even close to a tornado, but I imagine that surviving one, even physically untouched, still leaves a few scars. God did that. Why? Does He consider how such things affect people? Does He know what He's doing?

Our world is filled with evil and suffering of all sorts. All under God's control. It seems to me that the only way to handle it without becoming unfeeling, is to say, 'Yes, my God knows what He's doing'.

You're Not Important

Good News! We aren't all that important. And one reason for that is that our existence here is so brief. The Scriptures report this in different places. Here’s one:

As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. Psalms 103:15-16

We are here one day and gone the next. And unless you are that very rare exception, you are not remembered beyond one or maybe two generations. And then nothing. Not important.

However, we are so very significant. Who we are matters. Greatly. And the Scriptures also report this.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet. Psalms 8:3-6

We are significant because we were made in the image of God and because He has given to us work to do.

Significant but not important. And that is so freeing. We don’t have to try to become a ‘somebody’. We don’t have to work to grab attention from others. We don’t have to labor to stand out. And our lives are not worthless if we have not succeeded in accomplishing those sorts of things. We can avoid all that stress and bother. As here today and gone tomorrow people, we are so very significant. We are significant to God. What we do matters to Him. And if the world doesn't recognize us as significant – who cares? We are freed to enjoy being who we have been created to be.

Rejoice

There are times when the evil that I see gets to be a bit much. That, I suppose, is part of the calling of a melancholic. We feel the evil. Others do too, but I think it's different. So, what is one to do when the sense of evil begins to overwhelm? Or better, what should I do when I feel the evil too much? I asked myself that question again this morning. And here is the answer that was sent to me: rejoice. And that made sense. Rejoicing is not another way of saying, 'Act happy'. To rejoice is to consider that what is happening around you comes from the hand of Jesus. He has, after all, 'all authority in heaven and on earth'. So, even the evil that confronts you at any particular moment is yours because of Him. So, rejoice at what He is doing - even if you don't understand what He is doing. And that means rejoicing will require trust. 'I trust you, Jesus. I believe that you know what you are doing with my life.' But this rejoicing needs to be of a certain sort, at least for me. It won't do for me to try to hide behind 'rejoicing' so that I no longer see the evil. That strikes me as superficial, even dishonest. So, for rejoicing to work for me it needs to embrace the evil. 'Even this ugliness is part of God's good plan.' And, quite frankly, there are times when that's hard. There are so many lives that are being crushed by the evil around them and in them. In too many situations it looks like the evil is winning, if it hasn't won already. There are too many people who are experiencing what must feel like a bit of hell. And yet, the call is to rejoice. And that's what I aim to do. And while that will take a goodly measure of trust, I have found Jesus trustworthy even when I have no idea what He's doing.

How to Become a Mature Christian

I've shown you in a previous post some of the benefits of becoming a mature Christian. That answered the 'Why?' question. This time I'd like to answer the 'How?' question. How do we grow to become mature Christians? I think that many believers would say something like, 'Be sure that you read your Bible'. And it's hard to find anything wrong with doing that. But let me challenge that response just a little bit with this question. How does the Bible answer that question? I think you will find yourself hard pressed to find the Bible's answer to be some variation on, 'Read your Bible'. There will be places in the Bible that extol the benefits of knowing your Bible, like Psalm 119. But those places don’t talk about how to get to know your Bible. 

Reading your Bible is a really good thing to do. But there is a theme in the Scriptures that is too often neglected when it comes to this question of how to become a mature Christian. As you read through the Scriptures you will find the theme of the ministry of the Church as God's primary means of maturing Christians. This starts early in the Bible with the teaching ministry of the priests and Levites. And as you read the apostolic letters instructing the saints in the faith you won't find any, 'Be sure to read your Bible'. What you will find are references to the ministry of the Church. So, to pick one example, Paul talks about the saints developing to 'mature manhood'. And what means to that goal does he point to? 'And Jesus gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists and the pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to ... mature manhood'. (Ephesians 4.11ff) Jesus gave these leaders of the Church to do the work of maturing the saints. 

So, what's the take away from this? Don't worry about reading your Bible? No. The take away is about the significance of the Church for the Christian. The emphasis is to be on pursuing maturity as a group project and not something you do essentially alone. The Church, with its ministry of preaching the Word and celebrating the sacraments, is Jesus' primary tool for your good and your growth. Enjoy it.

Discrimination

I was listening to a Christian news and commentary podcast this morning. One of the items commented on had to do with a lawsuit brought by a Christian against his former employer. He was fired, he claims, because of his views on one of the current hot social and cultural issues. His point boils down to this. 'I sincerely believe in certain things. You should not discriminate against me because of those beliefs.' The assumptions of all involved in the discussion on the podcast was that he should not be discriminated against just because of his beliefs.

I am not a lawyer so my comments here are not about the law. But as a pastor I know a few things about people and about attitudes. There are those on the other side of this issue who are making the very same point as that Christian bringing the lawsuit. 'I sincerely believe in certain things. You should not discriminate against me because of those beliefs.' The Christian bringing the lawsuit feels that something went very wrong when this company discriminated against him. Should we be surprised if those who disagree with us on this and other hot social issues feel the same way when we 'discriminate' against them by our words and actions? After all, that's  how it feels to them. 

My point is not about who is right when it comes to this particular issue. My point is how we respond to those who disagree with us. For many of them, what they believe about the issue is sincerely believed. We will make progress in bringing about change as we work at understanding them and understanding where they are coming from. Hopefully, they will then also listen to us to understand where we are coming from. This will make it possible for us to have a civil and helpful conversation. How can we draw them to Jesus if we can't even talk?

All of this is simply an application of one of Jesus' famous quotes. 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'

Why Grow as a Christian?

There is so frequently this push: Mature! Grow as a Christian! A good question to ask in response is, 'Why?' I think that asking that makes a lot of sense. Christian maturity takes a lot of work. And if there isn't a good reason to do all that work - guess what? You aren't going to do it. So, why?

I think that it will help to answer another question first: what is Christian maturity? I suspect that being a mature Christian is equated by many with knowing your Bible, being able to pray well in public and maybe the ability to converse about the Gospel with people who aren't Christians with a view to helping them to become Christians. (Or to use that guilt-producing language: doing evangelism.) And while they may seem to be quality abilities, life without them isn't so bad, right? And that's why I think it's important to be clear on what Christian maturity is. 

To be sure, when a Christian is maturing that greatly affects his habits and skills. Such a person knows his Bible and can explain it because he has established certain habits like reading it daily. But none of that defines Christian maturity. Christian maturity has to do with certain qualities of the soul. Developing habits and skills are the means to such a goal, but they are not the goal.

So, what are these qualities? Here are a few in no particular order. A mature Christian has a sense of calm even in the midst of turmoil. That calm might be shaken upon occasion, but it is regained relatively quickly. A mature Christian is warm and approachable. People are drawn to him because they can see that calmness, among other things. There is also a gentleness in the mature Christian's interactions with others, and this is still there even when provoked. And yet, this gentleness is set aside at times because this person can be quite passionate. There are things that stir his soul. 

He has these qualities because, for one thing, he understands life, at least to some extent. That is, he understands some things about who God is, who he is and what people are like. Out of that comes a love for God, being at peace with himself and a concern for the people around him. This is a partial list, but it's a start. 

There are counterfeits of these and similar traits in the lives of people who are not Christian, but that is all that they are - counterfeits. And sooner or later, that fact becomes known. Counterfeits always fail. But there is the reality of these traits in the lives of some because God put them there. There are some who are mature Christians.

So, it's true that Christian maturity takes a lot of work. Is it worth it? Well, it really seems so to me. The mature have lives that really are worth living. And it is these whom God uses most powerfully to change the world.

For a future post: What do you have to do to become mature? 

Messy Church

Stop and think about it. Anyone ever been in a perfect church? No problems or disagreements, whole­‑hearted devotion to Jesus in every member, no issues or questions about how to raise kids, do a good job, manage money well without any anxiety? And come each Sunday everyone gathers after a great week ready to fully give themselves to sing God’s praise and listen with open hearts to His Word. Anyone been in such a church - or even heard of one? And it’s not as if things were so much better in those first century churches. Which of those churches received an apostolic letter without some issue or problem being mentioned? And the same obviously holds true in the Church in Israel before Jesus showed up. No, the Church has always been a messy place.

There are reasons for this. One is simply that the Church is filled with people who are well practiced at sinning. You might even call it second nature. But beyond that there is another reason. God has set it up this way. Paul found himself in quite the fix.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 2 Corinthians 1.8-9

God put Paul and those with him in a dire situation ‘to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead’. The church will never be an orderly place where everything and everyone is working smoothly. it will continue to be a place where there are questions, issues and problems. And all  of those are obviously more than we can handle. This is the blessing of Jesus so that we would live according to reality, relying not on ourselves but on the God who does impossible things. It is as we live that way that the questions, issues and problems are resolved and humanity is restored to its original beauty.

Doing the Will of God

So, how do you figure out the will of God? How do you decide what He wants you to do? There are two problems that people can fall into (and have).

The first is not to even think about this. The assumption is that as long as there are some basic religious activities (think: Bible reading or prayer or going to church) then what we do is pretty much up to us. To be sure, some are more careful not to do anything actually prohibited. So, robbing banks is out. But apart from those sorts of things, the rest is up to us.

The ditch on the opposite side of the road is to think that God has decided everything that you are to do, down to which socks to use today. And so, there is this paralyzing terror that you might get His will wrong and then forever be stuck in 'Plan B'. You've missed out on God's best. Too bad for you.

Well, someone from way back in the history of the Church has some wisdom for us. St. Augustine wrote, 'Love God and do whatever you please.' To my mind, the way that that works out goes something like this. Work on loving God. That's a lifelong process, but one where we can expect real progress. Loving God is all about cherishing Him, developing deep affection for Him, wanting to see His fame spread. While that's in process the question to ask when making some decision will go something like this. 'What would I like to do when it comes to this decision?' Think about that option and make sure that it isn't an obviously bad idea. And then, do it.

Don't stress. Yes, you need to pray, read your Bible and get to church. Those are the ways you come to see more clearly what loving God is all about. And yes, you'll make mistakes as you learn how to do this. But don't stress even about that. Your mistakes won't change God's opinion of you. His love is the only true constant of this universe. 

But still, what would you like to do? God isn't an ogre, and pursuing His will isn't a game where He keeps you guessing.

Love God and do whatever you please.

How to Take Communion

There are lots of things going on when we celebrate the Lord's Supper. And having some sense of those things will help you when the bread and the cup are passed around. So, one obvious thing is that we are remembering that Jesus has come. He has come to rescue us from our sin and the evil that is all around us. The Supper is also a little taste of what John calls 'the marriage supper of the Lamb' when, finally, all the resurrected saints are gathered in the new heavens and earth to enjoy eternity with Jesus. At the same time, the Father is feeding our souls, giving us what we need so that we can live well. And, along with all of that, the Spirit is changing us, making us more like Jesus. And there are other things also. You can, for example, connect the Supper with the daily provision of manna in the desert. 

So, in light of these various things that are going on, how should you take communion? That is, what should you think about or be feeling as the elements are passed around? I was taught that the Lord's Supper was to be a solemn and somber time. No one ever said that, but that's how everyone acted and I, like the rest, picked up on that. I think that the point was that we were supposed to be thinking about Jesus dying for our sins and feeling bad about that. But I can't think of any reason why we should act that way. It doesn't fit with what's going on. Is the Supper some kind of penance? Does the Bible teach that? 

When you consider the things that I mentioned above, I rather think that the overall feeling should be happiness. Good things are happening as we take. Better things are being pictured as we take. God has blessed, is blessing and will bless. What's not to be happy about? But then someone will say, 'Didn't Paul teach that we proclaim the Lord's death when we have the sacrament?' Yes, he did. And what is it that we proclaiming about the Lord's death? Well, for one thing, because of His death our sins are forgiven. We have been rescued. Does it make any sense to feel sad because of that? Isn't it Good News? 

So, let me suggest one thing that you might do when we are celebrating the sacrament. Smile. Think about the forgiveness of your sins or of the coming banquet or how the Father is feeding you or any of the things that are going on. How good! Think about one of those things, and then smile.

Understanding the Bible: One Book

Here's something else to keep in mind if you want to do a good job at understanding the Bible. It's one book. That might sound obvious, but there has been this persistent attitude in the Church that divides the Bible into something like two books. (In some extreme cases it's just one book, but it starts with Matthew!) Now, no one is going to come out and actually say that what we call the Old Testament is a separate book, but for too many it's easy to think of it as something that applies to another group of people, those Israelites, and to not us Christians. There are exceptions to this. We all like the Psalms. But even here, there are parts that feel like they don't fit, now that Jesus has come. These days, instead of praying that God attack our enemies - like they do in the Psalms - we're supposed to love them.  So, there are even parts of the Psalms that were for someone else and not for us. So, in one way or another, there are at least two parts to the Bible and only one part is really meant for us.

The assumption is that there has been this cataclysmic change. It's as if we're starting all over. Whatever God was doing in the first part of the Bible, He's doing something completely new now. After all, Jesus has come. 

To be sure, there has been change from the first part of the Bible to our day. So, we can enjoy a good ham sandwich on rye - with the right kind of pickle, of course! Moses couldn't do that. But there were changes even within the history of the earlier part of the Bible. Abraham could have had a ham sandwich, too. And, in fact, even Moses could have before Israel showed up at Mt. Sinai. There has also been change since Jesus arrived and left. For the longest time after Jesus' ascension, the Church was limited to Jews. And the (Jewish) Christians at that time thought that that was the way that it was supposed to be. But that changed. The Church used to have apostles. But no longer. So, change is not limited to differences between the first part of the Bible and the second. There's change throughout. But those changes don't require us to divide the Bible up. We need to recognize what has been changed and what hasn't. The Bible is one book. 

So, when we think about issues like the nature of worship, the status of children, the character of God and how we are to pray about our enemies, we need to consider what the Bible has to say, the whole Bible.

How Bold!

Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, 

   for I am poor and needy. 

Preserve my life, for I am godly; 

   save your servant, who trusts in you — 
   you are my God.       
                                                   Psalms 86:1-2

What a thing for David to offer in prayer! 'I am godly (faithful, pious)'. And that little 'for' right before it means that David is offering this claim as a reason why God should answer his prayer and preserve his life. 

Now, it must have been okay for David to have written that. It made it into Scripture. And that leads to the question, 'Is it okay for us to pray that way, to appeal to God because we are godly?' It must be. If it weren't, then we wouldn't have it in one of the psalms for us to imitate. But could we actually say such a thing? We are such sinners. But, then again, so was David - and yet, he prayed this. 

It seems that God really means it when he says, 'I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.' (Isaiah 43.25) Our Father does not remember our sins. In fact, He obliterates them (blots them out). As soon as we repent of some sin that the Spirit points out, the Father forgets all about it. It is completely gone. That's why David prayed in the way that he did. He believed the part of the Gospel that promises complete forgiveness. And we are to do the same. We are to believe that our sins have likewise been forgiven and forgotten, and then to pray, 'Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me … for I am godly'.  

Blessing and Cursing

Deuteronomy 28 is the record of some of Moses' last words to the people of God just before they enter the Promised Land. The chapter can be divided into two sections. The first is summarized by these two verses.

And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. 

The second part can be summarized by this verse.

But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. 

God will respond to the choices that His people will be making. He will act to do them good. That is, He will bless them. Or He will act to do them harm. That is, He will curse them. And what is it that God will look for as He decides to bless or curse? He is looking for obedience. But let's be careful here. In light of what other parts of the Scripture teach we would do well to use a phrase that Paul used. God is looking for the obedience of faith, the obedience that comes from believing God when He speaks. When He sees that in His saints He will bless. If He fails to see that in them He will curse. Fortunately, He is a patient God, giving His people time to repent. If they do, blessing will follow. But if they refuse to repent there will be His curse. 

God is quite clear. He will act in response to His people's choices. Is there the obedience of faith? That principle explains so much of the story of the people of God in the Old Testament, the blessings and the curses.

Has that principle changed for our day? Does God still act in this way in response to the choices of His people, or is there some other principle in play? Does He still look for the obedience of faith so that He can bless or has such obedience become unnecessary? There are things that have changed since Old Testament days, but this is not one of them. We are still blessed - or cursed - based on whether we are believing Jesus as He leads us by the Spirit. And this believing will show as obedience. This should be a great encouragement. You will be blessed as you work at this obedience. Jesus knows what you are doing. He knows how hard it for you to obey at times. But your effort is worth it. He will do you good in response. There will be blessing.

A Daily Prayer

It is my habit to offer this prayer as part of my morning devotions. I believe it's from the Book of Common Prayer.

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin nor be overcome by adversity; in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.  

Now, I am of the opinion that this is a really good prayer to offer up to the Father each morning. It is, first, an acknowledgement of His kindness in giving me another day here. It also has some requests - two to be exact. The first is an appeal for His protection from sin and evil - something I am clearly in need of. This is something that He can do because of His 'mighty power'. Then, there is the request that He direct me so that I might do my part in seeing His purpose for creation accomplished. And that is something that I greatly desire to do. So, if God hears all my prayers and responds to them with love and wisdom - and He does because He promised He would - then this strikes me as the right prayer to pray.