Words, relevance and the heart

Today: Jeremiah 14-17

There's often a fine line between trying to be relevant...and actually being authentic. The worst situations often arise when were are dishonest in how we present ourselves--or even God--to gain some popularity with people.

This has always been a challenge for God's people. In today's passage, we read about church leaders who ignored the truth of God's Word to present messages that pleased some pretty messed-up people. Let's review God's instruction here:

Use words truly and well.

Don't stoop to cheap whining.

Then, but only then, you'll speak for me.

Let your words change them.

Don't change your words to suit them.

I love this. It's a challenge for every Christian and especially for leaders to use wisdom and love--but to never lose sight of the truth of God's Word. It is possible to be both relevant and have some favor with people (see Jesus' example)--but our top priorities should not be to please others or to be trendy--our main mission is to honor God and obey what He says (also see Jesus' example).

God's message is not always in style with everyone. I've found that when people try to water down Scripture, it doesn't end up doing anything extraordinary. Feel-good messages from twisted Scriptures sound nice, but they sound just like self-help books. Is God's Word full of love, grace and mercy? Absolutely! But the Bible isn't compared to a sword for nothing--it's powerful. It pierces hearts and changes lives. The Bible doesn't cater to people--it challenges them.

Much of today's passage focused on God's assessment of the wickedness of His people--they deliberately disobeyed Him and turned their backs on His love. However, I found it refreshing to see God's words of blessing for those who honored Him:

But blessed is the man who trusts me, God,

the woman who sticks with God.

They're like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers—

Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf,

Serene and calm through droughts,

bearing fresh fruit every season.

The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful,

a puzzle that no one can figure out.

But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind.

I get to the heart of the human.

I get to the root of things.

I treat them as they really are,

not as they pretend to be."

In this section, God characterized blessed people as those who trust in Him, stay grounded and at peace, and are continually growing and productive. I also love the end of this excerpt--God sees our hearts and not just our words. He wants people to authentically love Him, free of pretension and show. Just real, honest love and living.

Tomorrow: Jeremiah 18-22

A dream come true

Today: Genesis 46-47

Don't you love it when (good) dreams come true?

Joseph's life story is filled with many dreams...they almost seem like milestone markers defining key moments in his life. But in today's passage, it's Jacob's dream that comes true. As he's on his way to Egypt to reunite with Joseph, Jacob has a dream from God:

God spoke to Israel in a vision that night: "Jacob! Jacob!"
"Yes?" he said. "I'm listening."
God said, "I am the God of your father.

Don't be afraid of going down to Egypt.

I'm going to make you a great nation there.

I'll go with you down to Egypt;

I'll also bring you back here.

And when you die, Joseph will be with you;

with his own hand he'll close your eyes."

For much of his life, Jacob had mourned the loss of his son Joseph. Surprisingly, Jacob had the opportunity to reunite with him (thousands of years before Internet search tools or The Locator were even available!). To top it all off, the lives of Jacob and his entire family--the family God promised his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham--were saved from famine. And the best part of all? God was with him, guiding his steps and promising continued blessing.

The stories of Joseph and Jacob have been such incredible pictures of God's faithfulness. God's still faithful today. I'm going to do something a little different in this post and pray for anyone reading this...

I hope and pray for you.

I pray for the God-given dreams of your heart.

I pray that you'll see glimmers of God's direction and faithfulness in your life,

even when things seem tough.

I pray that you'll have the wisdom, patience and character

that helped Joseph and Jacob weather their stormy circumstances with grace.

I pray that you'll be able to forgive those who hurt you.

I pray that you will not be afraid--

that you'll walk in the kind of confidence that only comes

from trusting God.

I pray that you'll know and hear His voice and

let His vision be your vision.

And I pray that you'll see those God-given dreams come true.

Amen.

Tomorrow: Genesis 48-50

Swords, promises and power

Today: Hebrews 1-6

It's Halloween today and I'm writing this after handing out handfuls of candy to trick-or-treaters...or as my Mom innocently referred to them today as..."Halloweeeners." :)

We saw lots of costumes tonight--princesses and bumble bees and superheroes. When it comes to dressing up, one thing I've noticed about little boys is the fact that they like to have costumes with superpower capes or weapons...swords, claws, you name it.

I thought about those costumes as I read today's passage--which compares God's Word to a sharp scalpel. It's powerful. It's filled with promises that are not empty, but potent. Here are a few highlights from our passage in Hebrews today:

God means what he says.

What he says goes.

His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel,

cutting through everything,

whether doubt or defense,

laying us open to listen and obey.

Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word.

We can't get away from it—no matter what...

...When God made his promise to Abraham,

he backed it to the hilt, putting his own reputation on the line.

He said, "I promise that I'll bless you with everything I have—bless and bless and bless!" Abraham stuck it out and got everything that had been promised to him.

When people make promises,

they guarantee them by appeal to some authority above them

so that if there is any question that they'll make good on the promise,

the authority will back them up.

When God wanted to guarantee his promises,

he gave his word,

a rock-solid guarantee—

God can't break his word.

And because his word cannot change,

the promise is likewise unchangeable.

That's pretty incredible when you think about it--an all-powerful God can absolutely NOT break His word. It is that strong and that true...much better than a plastic light saber. :)

Tomorrow: Hebrews 7-10

Paintings, people and true colors

Today: Luke 2-3

I'm not an art expert. But today I visited the Vancouver Art Gallery and saw famous paintings by the likes of Rembrandt and Vermeer. It was fascinating to see such amazing creative work in person. There's something about the colors, textures and overall mood of a great painting that can never fully translate into print. Seeing the true colors up close revealed the masterful skill of the artists.

People can be like paintings. Sometimes our true colors (good or ugly) can be hidden--but God has a way of bringing them to light.

In today's passage, I think the words of Simeon, an old man who saw Jesus as a young child, stood out to me. He talked about how Jesus would be rejected by people in Israel when he said:

But the rejection will force honesty,

as God reveals who they really are.

The phrasing is interesting here--"rejection will force honesty"? I think Simeon was saying that the people, ideas and things we reject show our "true colors"--they in a sense reveal who we are. By rejecting Jesus, some people--who previously followed Him--would show that they didn't really believe. Sad. :(

But in this passage, another portion touches on the "true colors" topic in a more positive light. John the Baptist taught:

It's your life that must change,

not your skin...

What counts is your life.

Is it green and blossoming?

I think that here, John is teaching the mark of those who love God is not necessarily an external thing. People who follow Christ represent different races and ethnic backgrounds, for example. John taught that our true colors are shown through changed lives--are we growing, maturing and getting healthy and strong in our faith?

If I'm like a painting, I don't want to be a printed copy--flat and dull in my faith. I want to be an original masterpiece with all its texture and true colors shining--even under the revealing honest light of God's perspective.

Tomorrow: Luke 4-5