One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**I wrote this blog post in preparation for my Sermon on 4.18.21. You can listen to the sermon here or watch our worship service here. 

1 Peter 4:12–13

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 

It’s a truly human statement. You know what it’s like, when you finally start to take charge of your life, develop a new habit, start your New Year’s resolution, only to feel like the rug gets pulled out from under you. 

It’s like stepping on the scale after a eating really healthy and it screams back at you gains instead of losses. When you pay off a bill, only to have to get your car fixed. When you finish your degree and you're excited to get your life started, and then you can’t find a job. 

Even worse, is when you finally take your faith seriously and you want to obey God, you decide to surrender an addiction, a sinful habit, to God and at the first turn you meet opposition. That’s life. It’s hard. It’s really, really hard. 

Sometimes it can even feel like the more you obey God, the more difficult life gets. King David felt this way. Consider Psalm 73…

Psalm 73:2–3

“But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”

David’s focus, in his distress, turned to the wicked, the pagans, surrounding him. These people were arrogant and prosperous. They rejected God, and yet their life seemed so easy. 

But David had to gain a new perspective, he had to get his eyes off the wicked and onto His God.

Psalm 73:16–17

“But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.”

He had to turn to the truth, to the God he loved, and have a course correction.

Psalm 73:23–26

“Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

He turned his complaint into a praise, this is lament. It’s been said, “to cry is human, to lament is Christian.”

It’s a discipline we need to learn and develop in this life. Lament is to turn your complaint into worship, your grief into praise. It is to recognize your own limitations and the vastness of God’s grace.

I want you to keep this in mind as we turn to Exodus 5 (Read).

Let’s remember our context here in Exodus. God called out a people from this world when He called Abraham. He placed a blessing and a promise on them, that He would direct them, prosper them and invite them into His redemptive plan. 

Yet his descendants ended up in 400 years of slavery in Egypt. They entered Egypt in prestige, but were systemically dehumanized over generations, until all they knew was subservience to the Pharaoh. 

God’s divine hand on His people, caused one of their children to be rescued by Pharaoh’s own daughter, and raised in Pharaoh’s house. For forty years, Moses was raised as a prince of Egypt, yet wrestled with his identity, knowing he was a Hebrew. 

In attempts to take matters in his own hands, he had to flee the palace and find respite in the wilderness. It took another 40 years to get Egypt out of Moses, and prepare him for the role God had for him, to be the messenger of God to lead His people to freedom.

As mentioned before, Moses had an identity crisis. He didn’t know who he was when he was a prince, with education, prestige and power. Now he is in the wilderness and believes himself to be nothing. 

Yet he met God at the burning bush, and God chose him to be a messenger. Even with the miraculous signs, Moses couldn’t shake his identity crisis, and didn’t feel worthy of this call. Yet God, in His loving kindness and patience, held fast to His commitment to use Moses to lead His people.

A Courageous Step of Obedience

Moses, now in cooperation with his brother Aaron, stood before the people and told them all that God commanded of them. The people received the Word from God and rejoiced. Exodus 4 ends with a celebratory worship service!

With the support of a rejoicing people, a call from God and his brother beside him, Moses takes courage and stands before Pharaoh. He proclaims, “Thus said YHWH, let my people go.” 

This is epic! Can you imagine the adrenaline rushing? His expectations soaring and believing God could actually use him to move the hand of Pharaoh! 

PAUSE

Let’s consider Egypt for a moment, and how Pharaoh was going to receive this. Egypt was the super power of the known world at this time. Pharaoh was considered to be divine, and the mediator between the Egyptian gods and the people. People entered into his presence as if he were a god.

He ruled the world as an Ancient Near Eastern king would, allowing people from all walks of life and lands to have an audience with him. The common approach for a visiting representative would be to say, “Thus says the king from my land.” Pharaoh would then recognize that the message was sent by an emissary and give merit based on his knowledge of this known land.

Enter in Moses and Aaron, who boldly say, “Thus says YHWH the God of the Hebrews, let my people go.” 

Opposition and Negative Impact

Pharaoh’s response is telling, “who is this God? I don’t know YHWH. You say He’s the God of the slaves? I know the gods, I don’t know this god. Nope, I’m not giving away my free labor from your appeal. They must be lazy, so thanks for letting me know. They can work harder now.” 

Back to Moses

That was supposed to work. I say what God wants me to say and Pharaoh would obey. Although, God did tell him that Pharaoh would not listen. An interesting study is to follow Pharaoh’s statement “I don’t know this God” and the acts of God through Exodus, “this is YHWH!” 

Moses is discouraged, but at least he has the his people with him, right? Wrong! Now they are frustrated with Moses for making their lives even more difficult. Their praise is now turned to complaint and frustration. 

Lamenting and Gaining Perspective

Moses is left with questions. His expectations have hit an all-time low. 

Exodus 5:22–23

Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.” 

Moses takes his complaint before the Lord. He begins to lament and express his frustrations to his God. Moses has not given up on God, but now he is questioning God.

Here in chapter 5, we don’t know what’s coming next. If we are only looking at chapter 5, it is a discouraging chapter. Moses wrote it, knowing what God did and how God delivered His people, but he wrote this so the people would see his growth and God’s hand. 

We all experience disappointments and frustrations. Moses did. Kind David did. You have or will. I have. We want things to be easy and straightforward. But we live in a broken and fallen world. Sin makes a wreck of everything. 

“God’s people must not assume that carrying out his commands will increase their own comfort.” (Doug Stuart)

It’s a journey that we are on. Our destination is not the here and now, but in the plan and presence of God. His timing, His way is perfect and it’s for our greatest good.

“The desert taught him much, but experience can teach him more. He must learn to be still, and wait on God, relying wholly on the sovereign purpose of God which will ensure that the redemption of his people will take place.” (Iain D. Campbell)

Moses’ faith was shaken, his confidence diminished and his resolve questioned. He heard the command of God, but inserted his own plan and expectations too. What failed? Not God. Moses’ expectations.

God told him that Pharaoh would be stubborn. God warned him that it was going to get worse before it got better. God’s plan was for Moses to take one step forward, and another step forward. 

However, Moses felt like it was two steps back. 

Moses needs a course correction, he needs to gain perspective. He is too close to the immediate frustrations to see the bigger picture. All he can see is disappointment and hardship. 

When life gets hard, when things don’t go the way we expected them to go, we have a choice. We can blame God, which only frustrates more. Or we can wait on the Lord and trust that He will be faithful to those who persevere in faith. 

My niece, Kayla Ricker, helped me illustrate this point. Below is four pictures. Picture 1, represents what we see when we are in the midst of trials. It’s hard to make out what it actually is. We can see it’s messy and can seem chaotic. Why?

Picture 2 shows why. We are too close to the painting to see the picture. It’s as if our eyeball is right up to the canvas. Here you see Bash, standing right against he painting. We, the observers, can see there is a painting there, but poor bash can only see what’s in front of him.

Gaining perspective is hard work. Picture 3 shows Bash’s effort to step back, but his focus is still on that singular spot. He’s straining and straining, trying to pry his eyeball off of that spot. 

This is what David meant in Psalm 73:16

“But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task…”

We can’t snap our fingers an arrive, we need to go to the “sanctuary of God.” We need God’s Word, God’s Spirit and God’s people to help us gain perspective. 

Picture 4 is this very thing. When we can step back and observe the whole picture, we can see what God was doing. We can appreciate the beauty of the masterpiece. 

What are some truths we need to dwell on when we are trying to gain perspective?

We have the luxury of knowing the rest of Moses’ story. We know that God shows up and teaches Pharaoh a lesson. He delivers His people in a miraculous way. He meets His people in the dessert and sets up camp with them. He institutes genuine worship and guides them. The Passover celebration and the Tabernacle point to the ultimate deliverance coming in the person of Jesus Christ!

But we don’t know the rest of our own story. We need the presence and promises of God to sustain us in the here and now.

The Bible is full of these truths, too many to unpack here. However, the Great 8, that is, Romans chapter 8 has so much to teach us and comforts for us to hold fast too.

Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 

Romans 8:16–17

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 

Romans 8:18

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 

When we are following Jesus, even when it seems like everything is against us, we are victorious. We don’t have to worry about standing condemned before God. We may suffer with Him, but we are His children and heirs of His promises. What you may be going through right now cannot be compared to the glory God has awaiting you. God is working all things for your good, shaping you into the image of Christ. 

Moses offered his complaint, and God answered him.

Exodus 6:1

But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

More on that next week, but for now know that God did not abandon Moses. He will not abandon you. 

What do we learn from Moses in Exodus 5? 

Walk in obedience, expect trouble along the way, gain perspective by holding fast to God’s promises, learn to lament, and wait on God, He will answer. 

The only step is to persevere in our trust of God, what we will find is that, instead of one step forward and two steps back, we step into the arms of God and He will carry us home. 

Resurrection Hope

1 Corinthians 15:17

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 

At least once a year I like to start a story with my Volleyball Team like this, “when I was in prison I played middle hitter and got one of the best blocks of my life.” Every time I say that, the reactions are priceless. “You were in prison?” “What were you in for?” 

Of course, I left out a few details for the setup to make it shocking. I was on a ministry volleyball team while attending the Word of Life Bible Institute. We went to Lake Placid Medium security prison to do sports ministry. It’s not as shocking when you hear the explanation, but it does lead to funny joke from time to time.

We played against the inmates in a best of 3 match, students vs prisoners. A few of the inmates took the refereeing positions and we began to play. Every time the ref made a questionable call, the inmates in the bleachers took our teams side and cheered us on. It was an amazing experience. 

After the game, I had the opportunity to talk with an inmate and share the Gospel with him. He looked at me with a futile, hopeless gaze and said, “God won’t forgive me, I killed two people.” 

My heart broke for his hopelessness. How sad it is to believe that you’re an irredeemable person. I began to show him in the Scriptures that Jesus died to offer him forgiveness, and that there is hope. He didn’t want to believe that could be possible. 

Prison is a hopeless place. Many were in for life and had given up hope. Prison, being a place for hardened criminals and murders, just has a depressing feel that is palpable even as we drove on to the premises. 

As depressed as it felt at Lake Placid Prison, how much more would the feeling have been for the apostle Paul as he spent time in a 1st century Roman prison? Although Paul faced shipwreck, flogging, stoning and prison, he never lost hope. Why do you think that is?

He had hope, not in himself, or his present circumstance, but in the risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:3–4

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

(Read John 19:31-42 for more context.)

In his statement here, Paul wants us to know and be sure of three things when it comes to the passion of Jesus Christ: Jesus really died, Jesus was really buried, and Jesus really rose from the dead.

Jesus really died. (cf. Mark 15:42-46)

There are theories about the life and death of Jesus that are spread from time to time. Theories that Jesus is a fictional character, that he never really lived in Jerusalem, that he didn’t really die, that the disciples stole his body, and so many others. People want to deny historical facts that attest to the truth about Jesus. 

The evidence that Jesus of Nazareth being a real historical figure is overwhelming and no serious scholar, Christian or atheist, would deny it. However, some want to deny the biblical account of his death. Here are a few reasons we believe he really died the way the Gospel accounts tell it.

Rome was in charge of the crucifixion. Roman soldiers were trained in death, they knew the signs of death. Chronological snobbery is often employed to make it sound like people in the first century didn’t really know what death looks like and so they were mistaken. Sorry to break it to you, but humans have been dying since Cain killed Abel, and the signs of death are pretty obvious. 

When the soldiers went to break Jesus’ legs, they noticed that he was already dead. Just to be sure, they drove a spear into his side and punctured his heart, causing blood and water to flow. This is known as pericardial effusion, a sign that the heart was punctured ensuring death.

All four of the Gospel writers tell us that Joseph of Arimathea asked for the body of Christ and buried in his own tomb. J. Warner Wallace points out that Joseph and the others attending the dead body of Jesus would have had extended contact with the corpse. In order to take him off the cross, transport him, clean him, prepare the body and place the body in the tomb, it would have taken time.  

A dead body begins to display signs of death rather quickly, unlike someone who fainted. These signs are loss of temperature, the body gets cold. Rigidity, the corpse stiffens up. Lividity, the discoloration of the body as blood settles from not being pumped. (See J. Warner Wallace for more)

One of the significant things about mentioning Joseph of Arimathea by name is that he was still alive at the time of the writings. Sometimes, we as modern readers, struggle with names in the Bible, but they are very significant, especially for the first readers of the books. Every time a name is written in, that name directs the reader to a person alive at the time of the writings. The reader could go and check the story with the individual. 

Not only did Jesus really die on the cross, but he was buried in a borrowed tomb.

Jesus was buried.

Joseph took Jesus off the cross, prepared his body and quickly buried him in his own tomb. Why would someone do this for a crucified person?

Josephus, the most important Jewish historian of the period, wrote: “The Jews are so careful about funeral rites that even malefactors (criminals) who have been sentenced to crucifixion are taken down and buried before sunset.”

Not only was Joseph a righteous Jew, he was also a follower of Christ and wanted to treat Jesus with respect. 

If you ever get a chance to visit Israel, you will realize that there are often 2 or 3 sites for each event in Scripture. The tomb of Jesus is no exception. There is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, inside the old city walls of Jerusalem, where some believe Jesus was buried. But just outside the city is a garden tomb, where he could have been buried. 

When I visited the garden tomb, it seemed like the place Jesus could have been buried. It was evident that it was a rich man’s tomb. It was in a beautiful garden that they have uncovered. It was in the side of a hill that has evidence of a severe earthquake. And one evidence that stood out to me, the tomb was very precisely carved out, with one exception, at the head of the tomb an area was quickly chiseled out to make the tomb a few inches longer. This could be explained by Jesus being taller than Joseph and being a borrowed tomb, he had to make it a little larger. I think that is a pretty cool detail.

Being buried is another sign that Jesus died. His death was complete and Jesus tasted death for our sins. 

Jesus really died, Jesus was really buried, and Jesus rose from the dead!

Jesus rose from the dead. 

This is the source of our hope, that Jesus overcame death. For a summary of this, check out this video: HERE if it doesn't display below.

Everything changes when we believe that Jesus rose again. He is not just another fairytale, He is the risen Lord. He offers hope, forgiveness and justification for those who follow Him. 

One of my professors in Seminary, Dr. Gary Habermas, is a leading scholar on the resurrection. When he went through his darkest times, he came to the conclusion that if Jesus really rose from the dead, he truly is the source of our hope and he has overcome the darkness. (see more here)

The resurrection is something to be celebrated, not just on Easter, but every day of our lives. We can live victoriously over sin because of the risen Lord. We can be hopeful, even in the darkest places of this world, like prison, we can have hope because of Jesus. 

Remember the inmate I talked to you about, that one who didn’t believe God would forgive him? When our time came to an end, a Christian inmate came up to me and told me he would follow up with the inmate. That’s when I found out that many of the inmates had received Jesus through the prison ministry and they had a discipleship group that was thriving. They had the hope of Christ in the eyes and were excited that we brought an opportunity through volleyball to share Christ with others. 

The Good News of the resurrected Lord is hope and light to all who believe. It shines brightly in the darkness. Let us be ambassadors of hope this Easter and share the Good News with others. 

Shine Brightly

Darkness. 

What comes to mind when you think of darkness? Fear? Isolation? Disorienting?

Darkness is powerful. Darkness is the natural state of the world. Darkness was over the face of the earth when God spoke, “Let there be Light!”

The unfortunate truth is, that our first parents, Adam and Eve, allowed spiritual darkness to reign in this world when they rejected God’s command and chose to eat that fruit. Since the beginning, darkness has been a plague in our world.

Yet, once again, the darkness of this world was pierced by the voice of its Creator, but this time, instead of a command, it was a cry of a newborn. Jesus entered into our darkness to be the light and life we desperately needed.

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Jesus came to give us abundant life, or life to the full. He came to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. One of the descriptions about Jesus in the Gospels is “the Light.”

Jesus is the Light

Why is it significant for us to know that Jesus is the Light? 

One reason is that Light is the Source of Life. 

John 1:9–12

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

The true light that pierces the spiritual darkness is Jesus Christ. He came to bring the truth and life to all those who believe. Those who receive Him are given the power to become children of God, adopted into His forever family!

The way to abundant life is in Jesus Christ.

Another reason is that Light is a Source of Safety. 

There’s nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night, trying to walk across the room, only to trip on something. Think of how safe you feel when you turn on the light and can see the obstacles in your way.

John 1:5

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Jesus is the light that shines into our darkness and reveals the obstacles in our way. We can be overwhelmed with the difficulties of this life, but they cannot overcome Jesus. He has won the victory for us, we need to turn to Him to drive out the darkness. 

And Light is the Source of Direction.

John 8:12

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 

Several years ago, I had the privilege of visiting Israel. One day, we decided to walk Hezekiah’s Tunnel. I guess it was a good thing that I didn’t know what was ahead, or else I may have missed on a really cool journey.

Hezekiah’s Tunnel was about 3 football fields in length and it was pitch black. Even with my flash light on, I could only see the one in front of me. There were times where the darkness closed in and the air got warm, and yet others times where it felt cavernous. Yet I followed the leader through the darkness and soon began to see the light and feel a fresh breeze.

We are in darkness, but Jesus is that light. If we follow Him, He will lead us through and direct us to the light. We keep our eyes on Him by spending time in His Word.

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 

I would like the big picture or at least the architectural designs for my life. But what I am promised is the next best step. The key is to trust our guide, Jesus the Light of the World. He is the guide we can trust.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 

Christian You are the Light

You may have some questions about that header, but they are Christ’s Words, not mine. Something we need to unpack and remember every day. 

Your Light Shines 

Matthew 5:14–16

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

If you are a believer, then your light shines. You are not the source of that light, but you are the representation of Christ that people see. You were not called to Christ to hide your faith, but to put your faith on display.

This isn’t saying that you have to become the next Billy Graham or Mother Teresa, but is saying that your faith in Christ should permeate your daily life that people notice a difference in you.

Consider this poem by Arthur McPhee:

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

Are read by more than a few,

But the one that is most read and commented on

Is the gospel according to you.

You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day

By the things that you do and the words that you say,

Men read what you write, whether faithless or true,

Say, what is the gospel according to you'

Do men read His truth and His love in your life,

Or has yours been too full of malice and strife'

Does your life speak of evil, or does it ring true'

Say, what is the gospel according to you'

Or as William J. Toms said it,

“Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever reads.” 

It’s a burdensome thing to think about, that we represent Jesus to this world. However, when we remember that Jesus is the Source of Life, Safety and Direction, all we need to do is faithfully follow Him and our light in this world will shine brightly!

Two areas I have noticed in recent years that cause people to observe a difference is our words and our purity. 

Take a look at what language is now acceptable on TV, in movies, or in music. Vulgarity is continuing to be popularized. As believers, when we refuse the social norms of dirty talk, swearing or cussing, the world notices. When we instead use our words to build up others and share the love of Christ, people notice.

I’ve said numerous times, but there is no place in a Christians life for foul language. Go to the Bible, read what it says about words, the power of words, language, and judgement. See if it permits us to be flippant about our words.   

Purity in relationships is another huge area. The world wants everyone to think that sex is just an act and no big deal. TV, social media, movies and music have been pumping our brains full of casual sexuality and romance. When we as believers live out standards of purity, it says something to the world. 

How can we be a light to the world when we are living just like the world. Go to the word of God and see what He calls us to, and follow His commandments. 

Walking in the Light Together 

1 John 1:5–7

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

When Jesus saved you, He didn’t save you to isolation but to community. The Church is a gift from God to help us persevere in walking in the Light. Life is difficult and we can easily be sidetracked from the truth. But when we are in fellowship with fellow believers we are encouraged and motivated to continue on.

Check yourself, are you walking in darkness? A good indicator of walking in darkness is when you don’t want to be around other believers. If you are afraid to get into a small group of fellow Christians because they might talk about real life, you are probably trying to conceal a sin area. If you have no desire to read God’s Word or talk to other believers about it, you are probably walking in darkness. 

But when we walk in the light, we are experiencing His forgiveness and cleansing. We recognize we are sinners who need a Savior and we march along with others who cling to Jesus.  

Jesus is the Source of Life, Safety and Direction. He has given us a mission to let our light shine in this world and to walk in fellowship with Him and other believers. As we prepare our hearts for Easter, remember who the Light is and how you can be a light to those around you. 

Developing a QT Habit

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have a hard time realizing the Bible is “living” and “active,” especially as I read through the genealogies, Leviticus or Numbers. Right? There are a lot of difficult and dry parts of the Bible. Not only that, the Bible is intimidating! It’s a really thick book and hard to know where to start.

Yet, I remember, as a kid seeing my parents getting up early in the morning to sit and read their Bibles with their cup of coffee, a habit they still continue today. I also remember when I shared a room with my older brother, I would pretend to be asleep when he would come in each night. He would turn on the lamp beside his bed, pick up his Bible and notebook, read and take notes. Both of these images are precious to me and were foundational in my concept of spending time with Jesus.

Parents, please know that your children are watching your patterns and habits. You are shaping their futures, whether you realize it or not. It’s never too late to establish new habits that will help them make good decisions with their future.

I wish I could say that those stories created a habit in me from an early age, but alas they did not. They laid a mental foundation, but not a practice. 

When I was 15 I had the privilege of attending a missions trip with Teen Missions International to Ireland. They required a 30 minute quiet time every day. They provided the time, but it was just alone time with the Bible. Again, the Bible is a big book, lots of pages and I had no idea where to begin. 

Someone had said that Proverbs was a good book to read, so I would read one chapter a day. That lasted 31 days (this fact makes a fun exercise to read 1 chapter a day each month that has 31 days). 

Then I heard James called the “proverbs of the New Testament”, so I read that. At the end of those two books, I didn’t know where to go, so I started back in Proverbs again. I gleaned a lot from those two books, and eventually I branched out to others books. But it was always a moment of uncertainty of where to go.

Then there is the blind, turn and point method. Have you ever done that? Randomly flip through the pages of the Bible and just point at a passage hoping to land on a message for each that day? It certainly is a better approach than not reading the Bible, but it also shouldn’t be looked at like a mysterious way to hear God’s voice like a Magic 8 Ball approach to God. 

The Bible is not just a book, it is a library of 66 books (39 books in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament). These books were written by over 40 different authors, most of whom never met one another, in 3 different languages, on 3 different continents over a period of 1,500 years. It is an ancient book, yet it’s message transcends time. 

Because it is an ancient book, it can take work to understand it. That’s why it is good to take small chunks of it each day and focus, mediate and pray over a little at a time. One good principle to follow is: “when the simple sense makes sense, don’t seek another meaning.” 

When you read the Bible and it makes sense, don’t think there is a hidden message in it. God delights in revealing His word to you. He has not put an elaborate code or hidden message in the Bible. Seek the plain things, as Allister Begg says, “keep the plain things the main things, and the main things the plain things.” God’s not out to trick you, He wants you to know His Word. 

Because of all these things, I chose the Word of Life Quiet Time journal as the resource for our youth. It is a tool that guides us through the major portions of Scripture throughout the year. It takes away the guessing game of “where do I go next.” It also has helpful questions to try to understand the simple and plain sense of the passage. 

I first encountered this tool at the Word of Life Bible Institute as a student. Again, I was required 30 minutes every day in Quiet Time. But this time, they gave me a journal with an assigned passage and two basic questions: what is the writer saying? and how do I apply this to my life?

This tool helped me maintain consistency and continuity to my time each day. I have used this tool with past youth groups and found it too be helpful. Recently, WOL updated their resource with interactive questions to help even more. They even have a journal for every age group of the family, so the whole family could do the same quiet time each day! Check it out HERE.

My encouragement to you is not to see the tool as a homework assignment or a task to be accomplished, but as a helpful guide in making the most of your time. You have permission to just read the text and talk to God. You can answer every question, or you can skip questions that you don’t find helpful. It’s not about getting the work done, it’s about connecting with Jesus. 

Personally, I love to get outside to be still and read my Bible. In Ohio, the weather doesn't always permit it, so my daily practice is to brew a pot of coffee and sit at my breakfast nook, and look out into my back yard with my Bible and my journal. The amazing thing is, every time I do my quiet time, God is there waiting for me. It's a joy and privilege to spend time with the Creator of the Universe. 

So whether you use the WOL QT journal or just grab your Bible and a notebook, look to the journey of growing closer to God!

Are you ready to start an amazing journey? The amazing truth is this, that when you spend time with God, He meets you there. 

James 4:8

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

As you develop this habit, you will begin to more and more aware of His presence in your life! Look to His Word, hear His voice and enjoy His presence!

Quiet Time with Jesus - Psalm 119:9-16

I have a question for you and the topic is “friendship.” What is one thing we never seem to have enough of when it comes to our friends? 

Time.

Do you agree with me? As I think back over my life and the time that I have spent with friends, it always seems so short. As kids, we would agree to go ask our parents if we could extend our time to a sleep over. Sometimes trying to hangout for the whole weekend. 

In High School, a neighborhood friend went to a different school, but as soon as we got home we would call to hangout, until parents called us in. 

As an adult, when I go to visit friends and their families, the days pass quickly and the time comes where I have to leave, only to feel like we have just begun. 

Why do we want more time with our friends? Because we love them.

Spoiler alert: I am going to do a Jesus Juke on you…

How much time do you spend with Jesus? 

My intention is not to play the role of the Holy Spirit and cause guilt or shame in you. I hope as you read through stories of desiring time with friends brought back some of your own memories and good feelings. But I want you to really press in to this idea of desiring to spend time with the ones you love, and bend that toward your relationship with Jesus. 

Jesus was asked this question: Matthew 22:36–38

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 

The most important commandment for us to pursue is to love God with our entire being. Notice how the command starts with “your heart”, the seat of desire. Desire – a strong wanting to have something, to long for, hope for, and have an emotion for, desire. 

What we don’t always recognize is that the longing, aching, of our heart at the deepest level is a yearning for our Creator, to know Him and be known by Him. Only in prioritizing the love for Him over all else will we understand the beauty and joy of all other relationships and gifts from God. 

Like our love for our friends, love for God should produce a desire to spend time with Him. The amazing thing about God is that He is omnipresent (everywhere at all times), therefore it is possible to spend time with God a whole lot, if we are aware of His presence.

Yet, we need to be intentional about setting times or ways of being with God. Attending church, small group, youth group, and other studies is one great way to learn more about God. Missions trips, retreats and camps are other great options. However, we need something even more intimate that will focus our attention on the heart of our God in such that grows our relationship with Him. 

Psalm 46:10

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

Here, the psalmist elicits a command from God for us to “be still” or to “quiet” ourselves before God. This is the idea behind the phrase “Quiet Time.” A quiet time is a time set aside to be still, to reflect on God, to listen to God and to become more like God. It is a time to become more devoted to the God you love by listening to His Word, the Bible.

Now the Bible is a big book, actually it is a library of 66 books. It can be intimidating and it can be difficult to figure out how to approach it. However, the more time we spend in it, the more we will see why we need it and how we can understand it. For instance, let’s look at Psalm 119:9-16. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible with 176 verses. Only 7 of the verses do not specifically mention God’s Word in some way. It is a chapter that tells us of the importance of God’s Word.

Psalm 119:9–16

9 How can a young person keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your word.

10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!

11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

12 Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes!

13 With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth.

14 In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.

15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.

16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. 

Now that we have considered the importance of love, desire, time, quiet and God’s Word, let’s look at what the psalmist wants us to gather from God’s Word.

Verse 9 – purity, or doing what is right, is accomplished by obeying the Word of the Lord

Verse 10 – whole hearted pursuit of God means holding fast to His commands

Verse 11 – memorizing God’s Word prevents sin

Verse 12 – praise be to God, he instructs us in His ways

Verse 13 – we need to speak the word of God to others

Verse 14 – Following God’s ways are more desirable than earthly wealth

Verse 15 – being intentional to dwell on God’s Word with our mind and our eyes

Verse 16 – taking joy in God’s Word will prevent forgetting His Word 

The end goal of a Quiet Time with God is to know Him and become more like Him. It starts first with our desires for Him and time with Him. As our desire for Him and time with Him grows, we will see our lives changing and our minds conforming to be more like Jesus. It takes diligence and patience, but it is the promised result of spending time with Him. 

I’ve recently chosen to use the Word of Life Quiet Time journals to be a resource to our youth group in digging in to God’s Word. It’s a resource that makes knowing what to read easy, and it is a good way of being accountable in the practice. There are other good resources, and some have developed their own pattern. The most important part is that we are in God’s Word to spend time with Him.

Loving Jesus should produce a desire to be with Him more and more. He wants to spend time with you and desires you to spend time with Him. Don’t wait until tomorrow, start today!

Image of God: Power

As a kid, Saturday was the only day I liked to get up early for. Why? Saturday morning cartoons! They were the best! Waking up, getting a bowl of cereal and then heading to the living room to turn on the TV. It was a little more difficult then, because I would have turn the knob to the right channel, mess with the tuning and maybe adjust the rabbit ears. Finally I would curl up on the couch and watch my favorite cartoons. 

One being “He-Man”, when I was allowed to watch it. In every episode, it came to a point when trouble seemed like it was going to defeat them, when He-Man would point his sword to the sky and shout, “by the power of Grey Scull (the castle), I have the power” and all of a sudden he would transform into a superhero. 

He-Man always used his power to help others and defeat evil. This fictional cartoon called out to us kids to desire power and to do good with that power. Like so many cartoons, movies and stories throughout the years, it sought to capture something deep inside of us, a longing for power.

Truthfully, it is because God created us in His image that we have an understanding and capability of wielding power. Power is placed on us from our Creator. We do not summon some temporary power from a castle called “Grey Skull.” No, we have inherent power because of God’s image in us.

Every human being has power, but what they do with it will determine whether it is an use or abuse of said power. The Bible is our source for understanding the Image of God and what it means to have the power of an image bearer. The fullest expression of the Image of God is only found in following Christ and being intimately involved in a local church. 

Acts 4:32–37

32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

In this passage, we see the earliest Christians response to the Gospel and the new community they were involved in. 

The Gospel brought an awareness of others importance and need to the community. It is no coincidence that after salvation, their hearts and minds changed from being oblivious to the needs around them, to observant awareness to the needs around them. 

Jesus said the world will know we are His disciples by our love for fellow believers (John 13:35). Love here does not mean just found feelings, it means love in action, care of and community. 

There is nothing better than being in a Christian community that gets it. They love Jesus and they love each other. One of the greatest joys as a youth pastor was when a new student attending youth group for a few weeks came to me and wanted to receive Christ. When I asked him what lead him to this decisions, his response was, “I see this group actually believes what they say they do and they love each other, I want to be a part of this!” 

The Gospel brought the understanding that power is to be used to benefit others. As we read Acts 4, we see those who had much, sold property to help those in need. All of us have power, some have a little and some have a lot, but when we pool our resources, we have more than enough in Christ. 

These two principals, to be observant and aware of other’s needs, and to use our power to benefit others, will produce faith communities that will impact those around us. 

Observant Awareness:

Look at those around you, whether in your home, school, neighborhood, work, or church, who is in need? Can you observe needs? Have you asked about needs?

Power to Benefit Others:

What can you do about that need? 

You may not have a field or valuables to sell, but you do have power given to you by God as an image bearer. Maybe you have a gift to use music, poetry, or mechanical skills. Maybe a letter or note of encouragement. Maybe God will call you to give up something or sell something to give to others.

I’ve been encouraged lately hearing that someone in our church has been giving money to our leadership to hand out anonymously to the recipient. They have just said, “give to someone who may need this or be blessed by this.” They want no credit or no accolades, they just want to bless the community. Praise God for believers like that!

You can be used by God to bless others. Big or small, use your power to bless others. 

Imago Dei - Dignity in Others - Matt 22:36-40

Matthew 22:36–40

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” 

It’s no accident that Jesus put these two commandments together, especially as we begin to understand the Imago Dei (Image of God) that He has woven into our essence. In order to fully love God, we have to love what He loves. How can we say we love God but not see His handiwork in His creation? It’s impossible.

The more you capture an idea of who God is, His heart for humans, what He has done to redeem humanity, and the provisions He makes for this sinful race, you can’t help but love Him more. 

Over the past couple of weeks we have seen that God created humanity, both male and female, in His image. That means there is intrinsically something special, something powerful, something beautiful in every human life. We have seen that the Fall, when sin entered the world, did mar the Image, but it did not remove it. God’s plan to create image bearers was not thwarted, but sin brought the need for redemption and reconciliation to fully experience the Image of God as He intended.

Jesus Christ came to be that perfect, exact representation of God to this world. His perfect life, sacrifice and resurrection provided the very means we desperately need to restore the image of God in us. Only in following Jesus Christ will we truly experience the abundant life (John 10:10) as Image Bearers.

The Imago Dei is in you, you are the result of a special work by God (Psalm 139:13-16). The image of God in each of us gives us our identity and brings value to our work. 

Tonight we are looking at the image of God in others. This is what Jesus was driving at in Matthew 22. A right relationship with God results in a love for others. A good biblical term for it is, fruit. When deeply rooted in the love of God, your life will bear the fruit of love for your neighbor, or fellow human. 

Apart from God, the sinful bent of mankind is to dehumanize and demonize others. Think of the hostility between local schools in the same community, where the competition drives them to disliking and even desiring to harm the opponents. We see this in sports and business. Then we get to extremes seen in tribalism and racism. 

Inherent within us is the knowledge of right and wrong, and Romans 1 tells us that the sinful nature suppresses the knowledge of God and believes a lie. When we think back to the atrocities that have happened in our country regarding slavery, we see a particularly demonic agenda where image bearers of God were dehumanized and treated as less than human. 

This campaign of American slavery dehumanized an entire ethnic group of people and rip their God-given dignity away from them. It was a dark and demonic movement, and we are still suffering from the sins of our nation’s founders today. 

God’s desire for us is to see the beauty of His image in others. When we see someone different than us, it is to be celebrated, not demonized. An artist doesn’t create a masterpiece with one color, she uses a palette of colors. God has created a beautiful diversity in His image bearers, who all equally reflect His fingerprints. 

It is the love for Christ that allows Christians to truly see the Imago Dei in others and drives them to spread the Gospel to the world. It drove Paul to travel most of the known world in the first century to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We can be agents of the Gospel by loving others and treating them with the dignity of an image bearer of God. In this Covid-19 era, we are confronted with the importance of community and appropriate human contact due to shut-downs and social distancing. Isolation and loneliness are a breeding ground for depression and anxiety. 

The simplest touch changes things. A handshake or a hug is more powerful than you can imagine. 

I learned this several years ago when I was in Kenya. As we all know, HIV/AIDS has hit Africa hard. In the area we visited, they treated AIDS victims like they treated lepers in biblical times. Viewed as unclean and contagious, people are isolated, neglected and left to die. Even family members keep their distance. It is sad to witness how this poor treatment affects those afflicted.

I saw this first hand when we went to visit Eunice, a young lady with full blown AIDS. Eunice lived with her mom in Marthare slums of Kenya, just outside of Nairobi. Eunice’s case of AIDS was in the advanced stages when we stopped in to check on her. When I entered the shanty, I saw shocked by what I encountered. 

Before me lay a 20 year old girl withering away on a thin mat on the dirt floor. AIDS had taken her sight, most of her hearing. Her body had wasted away to all but skin and bones. Breathing was labored. 

Dave, our missionary leader, shared the Gospel with her and asked me to pray for her. I knelt down beside her and reached out to grab her hand. When my hand met hers, it was if her whole body jumped with a start, surprised at human contact. But then a sigh, followed by her frame relaxing from the comfort. I prayed and we departed.

As we left, Dave said that was probably the first time she had been touched by another human since contracting AIDS. Forever I will remember Eunice and that moment when dignity was restored to her by a simple touch. She died less than two weeks later.

The image that comes to mind when I reflect on this story of Eunice is a reminder to me of what Jesus has done for us. We were desperate and sick, skeletal and dying, isolated and wasting away, when He came into our world. He came, not just to hold our hand and pray, but to bring life and healing to us by His Word. 

Why would I remember a person I only met once, for just a brief moment, who was dying from AIDS? Because she was an image bearer of God, and I hope and pray that she heard the message of Jesus and is today experience wholeness and life with Him. 

Who do you need to treat with the dignity today? How can you help someone feel a little less lonely in this world? How can you see the Image of God in others?

It starts with looking to Jesus and loving Him above all else. The rest will be the fruit of His love flowing through you.

My Cup Overflows - Psalm 23:5

 

We are continuing on in our series The Good Shepherd in Psalm 23. This beloved Psalm has been quoted in numerous contexts and settings, offering encouragement to believers for thousands of years. 

The problem with familiarity is that we don’t often slow down and think through the depth of the psalm, and we pigeon hole the text to common expressions. For instance, considering Psalm 23 as a funeral Psalm and missing out on the everyday life application of this song. 

I am so thankful Petar chose to begin this year in this Psalm by focusing in on each verse individually. 

With that, let’s turn to Psalm 23 and read it in its entirety, then we will focus on verse 5 today.

Read Psalm 23

Theology Provokes Worship

As we read through the text there are a couple of shifts David presents us. 1-3, David is describing God with the pronoun “He”. In these few phrases, David is recounting what he believes about God, which is what we call “theology.” Every believer is an amateur theologian, meaning we all think about God and talk about God. We have views of God which we should regularly recount and develop.

Then in verse 4-6 we see a shift from talking about God, to talking to God, this is called “worship.” We should never allow ourselves to talk about God’s glories without turning those into praise. This is a natural shift when our theology engages our hearts.  

I also think verse 4 gives us another reason for this intimate shift, the valley of the shadow of death. Suffering is the breeding ground for intimacy. 

“We are more prone to talk about God when we are in the green pasture and more prone to cry out to God when we enter some fearful ravine.” – John Piper

As believers, we need to develop a robust theology of suffering, that is, we need to understand that suffering is an opportunity to rely on God, to loosen our grip on the temporal and embrace the eternal. Suffering moves us from being satisfied in the green pastures to longing for to be with our Savior in His heavenly dwelling place.

James 1:2–4

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (ESV)

It’s About Honor

One more thought from the context before digging in to verse 5. In verse 3, we heard an astounding phrase, “for His name’s sake.” Why is God doing all this for us? For His name’s sake! It’s about His reputation, about His character. It is who He is.

As we just sang, “You’re a good good Father, it’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are!” 

In our culture honor, character and integrity are virtues, but we are not an honor culture, at least not like the what we see in the Jewish and Middle Eastern cultures. Your name, your family name and your house’s reputation were guarded with great care. 

We see this understanding of honor and “name’s sake” expressed in the Bedouin hospitality laws. The Bedouin culture has been around for over 4,500 years. Bedouins are a people who live in tents and continually move around the Judean/Jordanian wilderness. 

In a Bedouin context, tales about hospitality and generosity became as important as battle stories. Just as important as being a strong and victorious in battle was being a welcoming and hospitable host. Consider,

1 Kings 8:41–43

41 “Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name’s sake 42 (for they shall hear of your great name and your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house, 43 hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name. (ESV)

It is this honor code that God has used to describe Himself. His provision, protection, leading and hospitality communicate His character and draws people to Himself. This is why it is so important for us to be His “witnesses” to the world, that we proclaim the love and care we have experienced from our Father. 

It is this Bedouin backdrop that shapes how I’ve read through Psalm 23, and especially verse 5. Keep that in mind as we talk through our verse for this week.

Psalm 23:5

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (ESV)

Many commentators and Study Bible contributors provide a significant change in Psalm 23 when we come to verse 5. They transport us from the shepherd with His sheep in the field, to the royal palace. They use the words like “banquet” and “feast” and conjure up images of a kingdom and festivals. 

Those images and ideas are not foreign to the Bible and feasts and celebrations with God are talked about numerous times. But I don’t want to leave the wilderness, the shepherd/sheep context of Psalm 23 too quickly. 

Will you walk through this with me, thinking of a Bedouin context for verse 5. 

Radical Hospitality

“You prepare a table before me…” 

In the Negev, the Judean wilderness, where shepherds watch over their flocks, it is a hard land. It’s not the green pasture lands of Ohio. It’s rocky, difficult terrain, where the shepherds need to lead their sheep continually to new grasslands. This led to the nomadic lifestyle of the Bedouin. 

In the desert wilderness of Judea, the harsh environment was exhausting and would demand the life of one who does not know the wilderness. This is why the Bedouin’s developed the desert code of hospitality. In the desert, one is always welcomed to your tent. When a guest arrived, announced or unannounced, they were to be treated with honor and care. 

Look at Genesis 18:1–8

1 And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. (ESV)

Here we see the Bedouin Hospitality on display. The generosity of Abraham is on display. The invitation, the water for washing, a place to rest, to a snack to eat and to be refreshed. Once that is taken care of, he rushed out to prepare a meal. 

If we read this from an American perspective, Abraham looks task driven, hasty and inconvenienced by the important visitors. But from a Bedouin’s view, this is a wonderful tale of hospitality, where Abraham is not rushing out of inconvenient embarrassment, but out of joy for having a guest in his tent. 

This is the image I have as I read this verse. We haven’t left the wilderness where the Shepherd watches over the sheep. Rather, we have a tent in the wilderness, where the host beckons us to his table.

I think David is caught up in this imagery as he is humbled by God preparing a meal, washing his feet, and giving his weary soul a place to rest. 

Not only is God’s radical hospitality on display at the table, but it also says a strange phrase:

“in the presence of my enemies…” 

We all have enemies, whether external or internal. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Habitual sins, wayward thoughts, lies we believe, relationships that are broken, or even people who antagonize us. David definitely knew about having enemies.

Early on, David faced the Philistine giant, Goliath. Shortly thereafter he had to run from King Saul, who was jealous of him. David wander throughout the desert land evading enemies in his youth, and later in life when he fled from his own son’s conspiracy to take over his kingdom. 

David knew what it was like to be overwhelmed by this world. He did not take God’s hospitality for granted.

The Bedouin Hospitality laws not only demand that provisions are made, but that protection is offered. A leading scholar on the Bedouin life, Dr. Clinton Bailey, said this,

“A Bedouin host is obliged to protect anyone who enters his tent from outside threats…Preventing harm from befalling anyone who has entered a man’s tent, who has thereby become his guest, is reflected in the legal directive, “Defend a guest if he’s done good or done bad; keep a violator at bay or pay for his faults.” Defending a guest may mean stopping assailants from assaulting their intended victim by admonishing the assailants, especially if they are still outside the tent.”

Again, it was the character and honor of the host at stake, and therefore they would protect the guest, even if it put their own life in danger. As in this Bedouin legal directive, “You will die in front of the one you’re protecting.”

This understand is transformative! God is not transporting us out of the shepherd’s fields and into a palace, He is meeting us where we are at to provide refreshment and protection for our souls. 

Not only will God stand before you and your enemies, He sent His Son to defeat your enemies. Jesus was willing to die in front of the one He is protecting, by taking our sin and shame to the cross, conquering it by overcoming death. Listen to His invitation:

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (ESV)

Oh weary soul, listen to the voice of our Savior calling out to you, come to His table and find the provision and protection you need. Experience the radical hospitality of our divine host today.

Compassionate Care

Not only does our Shepherd offer us radical hospitality, but he shows us compassion in the way He cares for us.

“Anoints my head with oil…”

It’s easy to read this and think of the anointing of kings, or the anointments of perfumed oils at festivals. But let’s stay in the shepherd’s context here. The Hebrew word for anoints in this passage is “to make healthy.” To anoint a king is a different word all together. 

The Bedouins would offer their guests oils to refresh their face and skin. This was particularly refreshing coming out of the sun and wind of the wilderness. 

A caring shepherd, even today, will anoint the sheep’s head with oils for several reasons. We all know what it is like to have dry and cracked skin, especially in the winter. A shepherd would rub oil to bring healing to the sheep’s cracked skin. 

Another reason as shepherd would put oil on a sheep’s head was to keep the flies away. There is a type of fly that will pester the sheep continually so they can’t rest. These flies will land on the sheep and try to lay their larva in the cracks of their skin or in their nose. This causes to the sheep pain, frustration, and can even lead to death.

Shepherds developed an oil mixture that keeps these flies away and protects. Sheep who are being attacked by these flies will rub their noses in the ground or on a bush, or sometimes even bang their head on a rock. An observant shepherd would see this and treat the sheep with this medicinal salve. 

Do you resonate with that sheep having flies attacking and being a painful nuisance to you? Allow the tender, compassionate Shepherd to apply the oil of healing to your pain. 

James 5:14

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (ESV)

We most often refer to this when it comes to physical sickness, but it is not limited to the body. The flies that are attacking can be physical sickness, or mental struggles. James is calling us to bring in spiritual leaders who can be the presence of the Good Shepherd to us. Whether it is real oil, or the presence of prayers and counselors that act as the oil of healing to our weary souls, we need to bring others into our pain. 

As I read Psalm 23, especially 4-6, I see David increasingly being astounded by what he is writing about God. This is a song of praise, of worship and wonder. As he ponders God’s protection, provision, and care, I can’t help but think he did recall the time he was called from the shepherds field and anointed with oil. 

Yes, it’s a different word, as I have said earlier, but it was a profound moment in David’s life. This radical hospitality, compassionate care and call from his God led David to Abundant Joy.

Abundant Joy

“my cup overflows.” 

The Bedouins would offer water, milk and wine to their guests. A generous host would ensure that their cup was never empty, thus, my cup overflows would mean that I have been greatly cared for by my host. 

Consider Psalm 104:15

“You (God) gave… wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.” (ESV)

In this verse we see the Bedouin radical hospitality of our God on display to bring joy to our hearts. David is overwhelmed by God’s love and his care for him. An overflowing cup is a symbol of abundant joy. 

When you dwell on the presence, provision and protection of our Good Shepherd, how can you not be filled with joy?

When we come to Psalm 23, and dig deep, as we have, we have to allow the truths, the promises and the teaching to sink deeply into our hearts. We cannot just memorize the verses, recite the refrain, without letting it affect our heart and expect the abundant joy that David sings about. 

Oh Christian, Jesus is offering you abundant joy, are you living in it? Drink deeply from His provision, His care, His protection and know His love for you.

John 7:37–39

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (ESV)

This is His promise to you, that when we come to Him, our lives will be the cup that overflows with the living waters, that His Spirit will indwell us, empower us, and help us overcome. 

Daily you can come to the table of our Lord and experience His provision, protection and care. 

Sources:

Article: Abraham and Lot’s Bedouin-Style Hospitality by Dr. Clinton Bailey

VIDEO: Psalm 23 The Lord Is My Shepherd | Bedouin Shepherds | Ray Vander Laan

Article: The Lord Is My Shepherd by Ray Vander Laan

VIDEO: Psalm 23: A Generous Host by Brad Gray

Imago Dei - I Got You

 

Several years ago, we were on an after-camp canoe trip. Annually we would go down to the Mohican river with 50-60 students between our churches and spend the day floating down 7 miles of the river. 

As was my custom, I made sure everyone had a partner, life jacket, paddle and canoe. Once they were all in the river, I would follow the group and make sure they were alright. 

This particular year, another leader was my canoeing partner and we started last. We didn’t get very far until we came upon a couple of students who were new to canoeing. They had no clue what was going on and could not steer the canoe. It was a mix of paddling in circles, paddling upstream instead of downstream, and running into the bank of the river several times. 

In the midst of the paddling chaos, the mood went from giggles and laughter, to frustration and even some fear of never making it. After some coaching and instructions, it became clear that their only hope was to switch partners.

Fortunately, the leader I was with was a strong paddler and so was I. We each took a student in the front of the canoes and began paddling the remaining 6.5 miles. I did want to teach the student how to canoe, but I didn’t need them to paddle. I promised the student I would get them safely home and they could help if they would do what I said. 

In reality, every time they put their paddle in the water, they were fighting me and making things more difficult at times. But I patiently instructed them and helped them learn the proper way, so at times they were in cooperation with me. Other times, I told them to just take a break and enjoy the ride, “I got you!” 

In many ways, this story reminds me of our spiritual reality. We were created in God’s Image and capable of creating and reflecting God in many ways. Yet sin came in and brought confusion and disruption to our understanding of ourselves and our capabilities. 

Essentially we are the students who, having no prior experience, think we can live life on our own. Yet we keep spinning in circles, going the wrong way and bumping into everything. We might enjoy it at first, laugh at ourselves for a while, but soon frustration and fears take over. 

The Good News is that Jesus came along and invites us into His canoe. He tells us, “I got you!” He patiently tells us the ways to cooperate with Him and paddle in concert with Him, but we mess up over and over again. Yet, He never gives up on us and promises to bring us safely home. 

What we don’t realize, is that He is slowly and steadily helping us become more like Him. He is restoring the Image of God in us to its fullness, where we can reflect His glory more and more. 

Romans 8:29

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 

Here we read that God has a plan and purpose for His people, to conform them to the image of Jesus. Whose doing the work here? God is! Your transformation is not up to you, it’s God’s work! He bears the responsibility and He will continue this work (Phil 1:6).

Now, this doesn’t mean we should always sit back and let Him paddle in life. We should learn to orchestrate our paddling in concert with Him. This is called obedience. We don’t work for our salvation, we work from our salvation. As we increasingly improve slowly, we will receive the joy of experiencing God work in and through us. 

Jesus takes great joy in restoring His image in you!