Isaiah 43:8-13 "I'm It. I'm All There Is."

 

Observation: In the midst of the Babylonian exile, where the Jews are surrounded by idols of Babylonian gods and myths, the prophet makes a startling claim. Not only is the Lord of Israel the strongest, most powerful, and sovereign above all gods (that was a standard claim...every nation claimed its god was "the best"). The Lord of Israel is, in fact, all there is. "Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior." The people of Israel were always monotheists in terms of only worshiping one god. That's different from saying there are no other gods. Contrary to what the Babylonians would have you believe, these other gods simply do not exist. Interestingly, centuries later the Jews and Christians were falsely labeled "atheists" by the Roman authorities because they denied the existence of any Roman gods.

Application: So God is it. God is all there is. So what? I don't feel much societal pressure these days to acknowledge Marduk, or Jupiter, or Zeus and Athena. 

But we do feel a lot of pressure to give our time and talents, our "worship," to things like our economy, our national identity, our chosen political platform, our cultural standards of beauty, and whatever advertisers want us to spend money on. We even feel pressure from well-meaning religious folks to worship their version of the God of Israel, who fits neatly into the cultural categories they set up, who celebrates what they celebrate and hates the same people they hate. Even our ideas of God can become idols. 

We do sometimes get scammed into worshiping gods that do not exist. Maybe they don't want to be called "gods". But if we worship them--if we give them our time, our money, our loyalty above all else--that's what they are. The rest is just semantics. Yet God gives us the reality check. These aren't just minor deities, squabbling over souls. These things do not exist. They have no consciousness. They do not care for you because they can not care for anyone. They cannot save you because they have no will, no mind, no inner life. They are ideas in your mind. You might just as well appeal for help to Han Solo or Captain Jean-Luc Picard. You get the idea. God is it. God is all there is. And God loves you and wants to save you. Thanks be to God. 

Prayer: God, you are it. You are all there is, not just in my life, but in the universe. Help me become an "atheist" regarding all these other fictional saviors we chase after, and put my full faith in you. In Jesus' name, Amen.  

Jeremiah 28:10-17 When "Good News" is No News

 

Observation: It's a classic "duel of the prophets." Hananiah, a court prophet, breaks the yoke that Jeremiah is wearing around his neck, to symbolize that within two years, the people of Judah will be free of the oppressive Babylonian empire. Jeremiah replies that Hananiah has broken wooden bars, but iron bars will come in their place. Judah has not repented of its sins; therefore, the "yoke" of Babylon will not be broken. Additionally, Jeremiah predicts the death of Hananiah within the year. Both things happen. 

Application: In the marketplace of ideas, comfort is always a best seller. When we hear from one voice saying we need to change, and another saying we were right all along, guess who will more likely get our attention? Our praise? Our effort, time, and money? You guessed it...it's the one telling us what we want to hear. 

The problem, of course, is that what we want to hear and the truth are often two different things. Sometimes the "good news" in which we trust, is "no news" at all. It's a comfortable lie. 

That's why communities of believers need to listen to prophets, and work on their own prophetic witness to the world. We need trustworthy people like Jeremiah, led by the Holy Spirit, rooted in God's Word, who love us enough to tell us when we're off the track. Prophets are not always purveyors of "doom and gloom." But they are always willing to honestly share their sense of where God is leading us. And they do so in love, because the truth we find in scripture is that, whatever hard truths we need to hear today, at the end of the day NOTHING can separate us from God's love. 

Prayer: God, stir up you Spirit in prophets. Bestow your gift of prophecy on people in all communities and walks of life, and open our ears to hear your word through them, even when it challenges us. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

Job 39:13-25 Even God's Dumbest Creatures

 

Observation: Job has accused God of dealing unfairly with him. God issues a poetic rebuttal that lasts several chapters, saying Job has no standing to challenge God's judgment. In this passage, God mentions the ostrich, who leaves its young to be stepped on, "because God  has made it forget wisdom, and given it no share in understanding." (That line is so good.) God's point is, "You couldn't create even my dumbest creature. You have no right to tell me how to run the universe." 

Application: Job is really not a good book if you need comfort and support. Ironically, if you're actually in Job's position, if you're grieving, and you've lost everything, this often sarcastic book may not be for you right now. There are lots of other parts of the Bible I'd recommend, but not Job. 

Job, I think, is for us at our most comfortable, at the height of our power and influence, at the height of our hubris. When we are feeling pretty good about our ability to run our lives--maybe even the lives of others--that is a good time to consider the ostrich. When we're full of helpful suggestions for God, let's remember this: on our best day, we could not create even God's dumbest creature. So let's maybe calm down and let God be God. 

Prayer: God, you are smarter than me. There, I said it. Guide me in your way, not my own. Amen. 

Ezekiel 39:7-8, 21-29 The Nations Will Know

 

Observation: the Lord promises to restore the fortunes of the people of Israel (Jacob) just as God sent them into exile in Babylon in the first place. Both of these actions, God explains, were to show God's glory to the nations (Gentiles). 

Application: The Babylonian exile was a traumatic experience for anyone who lived through it. It's a hard pill to swallow, that God would have anything to do with that, even if it did end up teaching Judah (and the Gentile nations who saw it happen) a lesson. 

I don't believe that God intentionally sends or causes every traumatic thing that happens to us. Living in a fallen world, sometimes bad things just happen. But God can and does use the bad things that do happen as lessons. They can be opportunities to draw closer to God, to our loved ones, and maybe to let go of some of the unhelpful habits or relationships that cause us pain. Even the pain that breaks God's heart, and ours, can teach us something. 

Prayer: God, deliver us from evil and save us from the time of trial. But with the trials that have already come, bring wisdom, lessons, and a chance to make your name known. Amen.

Numbers 16:41-50 Protecting the People

 Numbers 16:41-50 (NRSV)

41On the next day, however, the whole congregation of the Israelites rebelled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, "You have killed the people of the LORD." 42And when the congregation had assembled against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the tent of meeting; the cloud had covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared. 43Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, 44and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45Get away from this congregation, so that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell on their faces. 46Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer, put fire on it from the altar and lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them. For wrath has gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun." 47So Aaron took it as Moses had ordered, and ran into the middle of the assembly, where the plague had already begun among the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the people. 48He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stopped. 49Those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the affair of Korah. 50When the plague was stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

Observation: God has recently caused a man named Korah and his family to be swallowed up by the earth for trying to usurp the priesthood from the family of Aaron. Now, God tells Moses God intends to consume all the people of Israel with a plague. Moses and Aaron act fast. Aaron grabs a censer full of holy incense and goes into the midst of the people already dying from plague, separating the dead from the living, saving  hundreds of thousands of lives. Still, over fourteen thousand die. 

Application: Honestly, if this text were the only story I have about the God of Israel, I would not be inclined to worship that God. I don't see compassion, forgiveness or love. Just vindictive rage. We don't always have to come to the defense of the Bible and try to explain God's actions--or at least what the storytellers perceive to be God's actions. No priest should have to step into the breach to defend the people from an angry God. And whatever really happened here, and whatever it meant to Israel, my belief is that no priest does have to protect the people from God. In fact, the message we get from Jesus is that more often it's God stepping in to protect us from ourselves. 

I don't know if God really wanted to consume all Israel with a plague, or if that's just how the people experienced it. But one thing I do gain from this text is that even though Moses and Aaron DO perceive this plague to be somehow from God, they have no compunction about doing the right thing and protecting their people from it. Whatever your theology dictates, it's never wrong to do what you can to keep others safe. It's never ever wrong to save lives. 

Prayer: God, I just don't understand this story. It doesn't seem like you, but I trust you are in there. Open my ears to hear your word in the difficult stories, and my heart to receive it. Amen. 

Ezekiel 34:23-31 Safety and Abundance

 

Observation: God promises to shepherd the people of Israel, to protect them from "wild animals," meaning hostile and tyrannous nations or leaders, and to feed them "splendid vegetation" so they will no longer go hungry. 

Application: It's a good thing that God is our true shepherd, because human beings have never been any good at it. Oh, we're plenty good at ordering each other around, and imposing our will on others. But in terms of leading and ordering our society in such a way that all are safe, fed, sheltered and able to prosper, not so much. After reading reports of over a hundred thousand killed on either side of the Russia/Ukraine conflict, after wondering if we can steward the planet well enough to support my great grandchildren, after watching leaders in the most prosperous nation in history bicker back and forth about whether we should pay our bills, I know we need a better shepherd. And while we're waiting for the fullness of God's promise for the world, God can still shepherd in our hearts.

Prayer: Lead our souls, Good Shepherd. We are wandering in a dangerous and afraid land. Show us the abundance of a life guided by you. Amen. 

1 Corinthians 15:12-28 All or Nothing

 

Observation: Paul writes to Christians in Corinth, who are struggling with the first, and I'd say mots important question of the Christian faith. "Did God really raise Jesus from the dead? Really?" Paul does not equivocate. He doesn't give any wiggle room. If Christ has not been raised, there is no point to any of this. But in fact Christ HAS been raised from the dead. 

Application: As Paul says, the resurrection of Jesus is an "all or nothing" moment for our faith. Many have tried, not just in modern times, to find meaning in the story of Jesus' rising as a metaphor for the new life of spring, new hope after hard times, healing after hurts, or any number of other things. Sure, the Easter story can work as a metaphor. But so can any other story. If Jesus didn't rise, then I might just as well find solace in Lord of the Rings or any other piece of writing, fiction or nonfiction, that comforts my soul in this life. If Jesus isn't alive, then any story that gets your through the night is as good as the next. 

But, with Paul, we proclaim that Jesus did rise. He is alive. He is active in our lives today. And God will raise us too. 

A word from one of my favorite poems, John Updike's Seven Stanzas At Easter :

Let us not mock God with metaphor,
analogy, sidestepping, transcendence;
making of the event a parable, a sign painted in the
faded credulity of earlier ages:
let us walk through the door.

The stone is rolled back, not papier-mâché,
not a stone in a story,
but the vast rock of materiality that in the slow
grinding of time will eclipse for each of us
the wide light of day.

Prayer: Lord, I can't pretend that my faith is unwavering. I won't pretend I never doubt you, or question sometimes how your rising speaks to the sorrows in my life or the lives of those in my care. It's true. Sometimes, I do. Thank you for showing up in my life anyway. Thank you for appearing to me through the words and actions of friends, family and siblings in Christ. Thank you for rising in my heart, even in times I thought it was broken beyond repair. In your strong name I pray. Amen. 

Colossians 3:12-17 Getting Dressed Up

 

Observation: Paul writes to the Colossian Christians with some practical advice for life together as a community. He lifts up virtues and traits they should pursue, like kindness, humility, meekness, patience and forgiveness. The phrase that stands out for me is the one thing he lists separately: "above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." 

Application: I appreciate Paul's advice of putting on love like a garment. This past week--Holy Week--I paid a lot more attention than usual to what I was wearing. Robes, stoles of various colors, clerical shirts with tab collars all had to be clean and ready to go at the right time. Each morning I had to think through which particular part of Jesus' story we'd be telling that day, and dress accordingly. It always takes a little extra effort and forethought, to be ready to represent myself the way I want others to see me. 

Clothing ourselves with love is just the same way. Like it or not, Love--at least the unconditional "Agape" love Paul talks about--is not just a natural part of our bodies that goes with us everywhere. Like a garment, it's something we have to consciously put on. Which means it's something we have to have ready in the morning, in the midst of all the other tasks we have to do. Just as important as taking a shower, eating breakfast, taking vitamins or other meds, brushing your hair (if you have any) is whatever practice you have of preparing to wear God's love into the world. Maybe it's a time of prayer and meditation. Maybe it's a daily affirmation in front of the mirror. Maybe it's just turning off the radio in the last five minutes of your commute, taking a deep breath before you walk into work, and saying, "Okay God, let's do this." Whatever you do, it's on purpose. It doesn't happen by accident, any more than wearing pants happens by accident. It's part of your day, and it sets the direction the day will go. 

Happy Tuesday, folks. Did we remember to put on love? 

Prayer: God, help me put on love like a garment. Help me break it in with frequent wear. Help me remember to care for it, like everything else I wear. Help me remember where I keep it so I can reach for it before going out the door. In Jesus' name, Amen.  

Isaiah 42:16 Lead Me, Guide Me

 

Observation: In the time of the Babylonian exile, the people of Judah are in a foreign land, with no clear way forward. In this context, God's promise, to lead the blind by a road they do not know, must be especially comforting. At this time in history, all of God's people must feel symbolically blind: not able to see how they got here, nor how they will get out. They will have to depend completely on God's guidance. 

I also find it meaningful that God's promise is not a promise to "change" those who are blind in some way. No miraculous healing here. God's promise is to make the road accessible. God will guide them, so they can travel exactly as they are. 

Application: The more I listen to the stories of people with disabilities today, the more differently I  read stories of people with disabilities in the Bible. Sometimes the "healing" we seek comes from being accepted as we are. I have a son with autism. I don't pray for him to be "healed" and become neurotypical. Instead, I pray that the people around him will get to know him, and realize that if they adjust their expectations and assumptions ever so slightly, they will get to know such a creative, capable and gifted kid. God doesn't always heal by making blind people no longer blind. Sometimes God heals by sending the guides and making the road walkable for all people. 

Prayer: God, make our communities and our hearts accessible for all people. Send us as your guides for those who need a hand. Make the rough places in our hearts smooth. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

 

 

1 Corinthians 10:1-4 Jesus is a Rock in a Weary Land

 

Observation: Paul is sharing his interpretation of lessons learned from the story of Moses and the Israelites escaping slavery through the Red Sea and wandering in the wilderness. He compares passing through the Red Sea, led by the cloud of God's presence, to a baptism. The people were changed by the journey of faith. They were fed by "spiritual food," or manna from God, and drank the same "spiritual drink," or water from the rock which God provided (Exodus 17). In Paul's view, the rock was Christ.

Application: There's a lot going on in these few short verses, but the part that draws me back are the last four words: "the rock was Christ." Even though Jesus is not mentioned in the Hebrew Bible at all, Paul believed that the eternal Christ existed even in the time of Moses. The same Messiah who saved the world from sin on the cross, saved the people of Israel in the dry and weary wilderness. Often, when Jesus has been helping me, it's not until a long time later that I realize it really was Jesus. We may feel we're doing pretty well "on our own," until we realize he's the "rock in a weary land" that has followed us through the hardest times. 

Prayer: Jesus, as you provided for the Israelites in the wilderness, you are providing for my spirit today. Thank you. Amen. 

If this devotion brought up this gospel song in your head, you may as well give it a listen. 

  

Psalm 78: Rebellion and Gratitude

 

Observation: Psalm 78 is a history psalm, meant to pass on to future generations the story of Moses, the escape of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and God's care for the people in the wilderness. The story is not told in a linear way, but jumps back and forth in time. Still, the heart of the story is that God keeps on providing for God's people, even when they forget, grumble and rebel. 

Application: Too often my word for God is "what have you done for me lately?". I don't say it out loud or think it consciously, but I do get preoccupied with what I don't have, rather than what I do; with what God has not yet done for me, instead of the many things God has already done. Like the people of Israel, I say with my actions and thought patterns, "Yeah, water from a rock is nice, but what's holding up the entree?" I need to repent of my grumbling and rebellion, by giving thanks. A surefire way to head off my dumbest and most petty grievances is telling the story of God's work in my life and giving thanks. 

Prayer: God, I woke up this morning in a warm house, surrounded by a loving family, with food in the fridge, with clothes to put on, and I am healthy. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! Amen. 

Deuteronomy 23:21-23

 Observation: This is the commandment from God's law about fulfilling vows, which Jesus referenced when he said it's better not to make vows at all. Deuteronomy says if you refrain from vowing, you incur no guilt, but if you do make a vow, you'd better be as good as your word. 

Application: Last night's attack on the campus of Michigan State University has me rattled. Four people have lost their lives. Another five are injured. A whole community, including people I know and care for very much, is traumatized. This horrific violence has become all too common in our country, and for some reason, almost exclusively in our country. Our leaders have made vows before to do something about it. Maybe we ourselves have made vows. Yet the problem remains. There may not be one law to pass, or one social reform to make, that will make all our communities stable and safe. But if we say we will do something about this, then we need to follow through. The world is watching. Our children are watching. 

Prayer: God, grant peace to the community of East Lansing, and to the students and staff at MSU. Grant your holy comfort to the mourners and healing to the injured. And grant us the will, the hope, the ingenuity and the persistence to actually do something about the ongoing violence in our country. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

Philippians 2:12-18 God is At Work In You

Observation: This text takes place right after one of my favorite texts from the whole New Testament: the Christ Hymn, which tells the story of Jesus, who was in the form of God, humbling himself and even dying on a cross so that he would be exalted in all the earth. In these next few verses, Paul gives his readers the "application." Because this amazing thing has happened in Jesus, we can "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling." This doesn't mean to "save" ourselves--Paul just laid out how Jesus did that--but to work out the meaning of the cross and resurrection in our own lives, and let it affect the way we think and act. It will look different for different people, but trust that "God is at work in you." 

Application: I guess the "fear and trembling" part makes sense, because, as Paul has laid out, we are truly free in Christ. There is no one cookie cutter way of life for every Christian: we work out the meaning of Jesus in our own lives, in our own time. Sure, Christians who are taking this seriously will all strive to love one another, and to imitate Jesus in healing, inclusion and justice. But that still provides a LOT of latitude for you and me to work this thing out in the way that makes most sense for us. It would be totally confounding for me, and I'd never know if anything I'm doing is right, except for the promise in the next verse: "God is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure." 

Prayer: Dear Holy Spirit, please work in me as I work out this life of faith. Amen. 

Isaiah 53: A Lamb Among Lambs

 

Observation: It's hard to read this text from the Hebrew Bible apart from the familiar context of Good Friday. Even though this was written centuries before the birth of Jesus in a very different historical time, Christians from the very beginning saw Jesus' own sacrifice on the cross in light of this text. Like sheep, the people have gone astray. Yet like the Passover lamb, the servant of God offers up his own life for our sake. 

Application: I believe that Jesus is the lamb of God who offers his life up for our sake. But I don't believe it is God's wrath that led him there. In my experience, what brings the most pain to God, and to God's servants, is the wrath of humankind. The lamb has more to fear from the wayward sheep than from his master. Yet it's for our benefit that he gives his life.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for giving your life for this world, and for me. Amen. 

Psalm 72 Prayers for the King

 

Observation: This is a psalm of Solomon, who is remembered as Israel's wisest and richest king. The prosperity the Kingdom of Israel enjoyed under Solomon, and the respect from other nations, was legendary. Interestingly, Psalm 72 has been the appointed psalm for Epiphany for centuries, so even though Matthew's Gospel does not say the wise men from the east are "kings," reading about the kings of three foreign lands bringing tribute on this same day put that image in our minds. 

What I love about this psalm is that right alongside prosperity and international acclaim, the psalmist places the king's care for the poor and oppressed as paramount. In fact, it's a theme that keeps coming up. Care for the poor is every bit as important as any other issue in Solomon's kingdom, and you can't get one at the expense of the other. 

Application: This is an appropriate psalm for a "return to work" in the closing days of Christmas. I dropped off my kids at school, I am getting prepped for all the meetings and appointments that had to be put off until "after the holidays", and in the news, today is the day when many elected officials in Washington are being sworn in. Whatever work we are "returning to", the priorities set by Solomon in psalm 72 are apt. It's okay to pray for prosperity, or at least the resources to make ends meet. It's fine to pray for respect and dignity from others, though that's always a two-way street. But none of those values ever comes before care for the poor and oppressed. To be a person of faith, knowing our king's care for the poor, is to use what power we have in this life to lift them up. 

Prayer: God, grant me the vision to see the people in my community who may need help with finances, or with advocacy. Help me repent of the shame our culture places on people living in poverty, and help me take their side, as you do. Amen.