The Wisdom of Solomon

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Monday, December 31, 2018

That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want?  Ask, and I will give it to you!”  Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you.  And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.  “Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around.  And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted!  Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong.  For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”  The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom.  So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies—I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have!  And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame!  No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!  And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”  

1 Kings 3:5-14(NLT)

Many years ago I knew a man who was fond of this aphorism about wisdom:

There are those who know – and they know they know; they’re ok.

There are those who don’t know – and they know they don’t know; they’re ok.

There are those who know – and they don’t know they know; they’re ok.

But those who don’t know – and don’t know they don’t know; they’re dangerous!

The name Solomon is synonymous with wisdom.  It is obvious that God had blessed the young man with wisdom even before he asked for an understanding heart, because Solomon knew he didn’t know everything! 

This passage of Solomon’s beginnings as a king is a typical genie-in-a-bottle tale; except the Lord God is no genie…He is Jehovah, the Almighty, Who grants what He will, to whom He will.  In this case, carrying through on His covenant with David and Israel, God is willing to grant Solomon whatever the young king requests.  You get ONE wish, Sol…what do you want?  Remarkably, with a chip that big to be cashed, this young man asks for understanding to govern well, and do a good job of it for the sake of God’s kingdom.  He could have asked for long life, riches, or a whole list of personal perks; but this (already) wise young man requests wisdom so he can please God and bless the people. 

You’re familiar with the saying about giving a man a fish or teaching a man to fish?  If you simply give a handout, the person will be satisfied for a day; tomorrow he’ll be begging again!  But if you teach a man how to fish, you’ve fed him for a lifetime.  As a young man Solomon already understood the value of wisdom.  He knew, for instance, that riches, looks, health, relationships, power, and all things material can fade away, die, or be taken away as quickly as they appear.  Wisdom to make right choices, however, is priceless and will endure.  Solomon chose wisdom to choose wisely.

So, here we have a young king without much life experience, full of vigor and a promising future.  He understands that the best thing he could do, despite his position as king, being on top of the considerable inherited heap of the kingdom his father David established, is humble himself before God, and beg for a right and balanced heart. 

Would that Washington DC were populated by Solomon’s descendants!

For You Today

Tomorrow the calendar moves from 2018 to 2019.  It’s common to set some resolutions to live better, lose a little weight, and/or be a little different in the new year. 

Maybe God hasn’t appeared to you in a dream lately to ask you what you want, but perhaps before that personal resolutions list is carved in stone, you would do well to go to Him and ask for an understanding heart.  It might make the rest of the process, and the new year, run a whole lot better.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.                                                                                                                      

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[1] Title Image:  Wikimedia Commons

The Difference of Presence

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Friday, December 28, 2018

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared.  And the sea was also gone.  And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people!  He will live with them, and they will be his people.  God himself will be with them.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.  All these things are gone forever.”  And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”  And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”  And he also said, “It is finished!  I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.  All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.  Revelation 21:1-7(NLT)

Elizabeth and I began losing our parents in 1985 when Sofie went to be with the Lord.  Then, seven years later it was her dad, Tony.  Within the last 10 years my parents, Cecilia and Elwood, joined them.  Most of their siblings have also passed, and so our connection with that great generation has also faded into awaiting the great reunion.  Two days after this year’s Christmas festivities we were having our usual breakfast conversation and my bride remarked rather wistfully how different the holidays are without them. 

The difference an absence can make is startling once it settles-in.  You don’t get to ask any more questions, or be reminded of that special smile, or share the intimacy of those inside family jokes or stories.  So, now the responsibility falls to our generation to pass along the connection of past, present, and future.  Of course, it’s hard to improve upon what Scripture does with that; Genesis starts with creation, and Revelation ends with re-creation.  Start at the beginning, march through history, and celebrate what’s coming.  In each of those tenses there is presence!

When I was a young preacher, new in the ministry, there were times, when called to a deathbed, that I spoke too much, and much too quickly.  I’m certain it was nervousness; I didn’t know what to say, and so I spoiled holy moments by speaking well-meaning, but useless platitudes:

·      I’m sorry for your loss

·      He’s in a better place now

·      At least she’s not suffering

·      It was a hard road, but he was ready

I should have waited for the silent presence of the holy to be completely God’s place to speak; I’ve learned to try to be present rather than vocal.

At the most difficult times in my life I have been blessed to be surrounded by presence in the people who care about me, and by their presence and thoughtfulness they leave little question that I am loved.  Presence makes all the difference.  Words are important, but they are no match for that beating heart next to yours. 

During one of those very difficult times, when I had absolutely no clue which way to turn with my life, a dear Christian brother came alongside me.  I respected this friend, father, and honest businessman; his walk matched his talk!  It has been more than 40 years since that day, and I cannot recall a single word he said, because he just sat with me.  His caring presence made the difference in my life, and that presence spoke so loudly and clearly, if there were any words, they were completely unnecessary to his ministry to me.  God’s Spirit spoke for him directly to my heart.

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.  Romans 8:26(NLT)

For You Today

It just may be that not every millisecond of eternity has to be filled with noise.  When you’re not certain words will accomplish God’s will, be silent.  God has been known to speak in a whisper, but none of us can hear that when we’re all about the noise.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.                                                                                                                     

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com

What About Him?

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Thursday, December 27, 2018

A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time.  He said, “Lord, you know everything.  You know that I love you.”  Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.  “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go.  But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.”  Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God.  Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”  Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray you?”  Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”  Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?  As for you, follow me.”  John 21:17-22(NLT)

If you’re following Jesus as His disciple, there are a lot of questions that are valid and welcome.  You can ask:

·      Where do you want me to go?

·      What do you want me to do?

·      When, and even Why are on the table

These are all questions that help give us direction and understanding to the scope and urgency of Christ’s mission.  The one question you want to avoid is something that smacks of idle curiosity about someone else’s service. 

Perhaps Peter just couldn’t help it; his natural curiosity wanted to probe deeper and know what was in store for John.  It doesn’t mean Peter wasn’t sold on Jesus being the Messiah, Son of God; that much isn’t in question.  It’s just that, who can resist the impulse to question if someone else is getting a better deal than you?  Peter wanted to probe the possibilities while the conversation was still on the table.  Jesus told him to mind his own business and do what Jesus had set out for him…not John.

It’s like that with humans.  Even when we have a clear view of what God wants us to do, we can’t help questioning if there’s something better, easier, higher-paying, more gratifying, upper-level kind of thing for us; we want what we want!

Peter became the chief preacher among the disciples, and I can tell you from experience a preacher that spends his days dreaming of having a bigger church, with a much more prominent pulpit than he or she currently serves is one of Satan’s most successful tools for tearing churches apart.  When someone who’s supposed to be a shepherd caring for sheep, takes his eye off the ball of being a shepherd and wants to climb mountains of fame and prestige – that church is in for a nosedive, and the shepherd is going to wind up in the woodshed.  Jesus said, mind the business I gave you; don’t worry about what I want your neighbor to do!

For You Today

So, now that I’ve bared the soul-trouble of status-seeking preachers (and probably alienated any of my fellow pastors who read this), how’s it going in the pride and social-climbing department for you?

We’re still a few days away from the deadline of writing those resolutions for the new year.  You could add a little holy contentment to your list.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.                                                                                                                     

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com

Suddenly

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Monday, December 24, 2018

And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home.  He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.  He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.  And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.  She gave birth to her firstborn son.  She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.  That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.  

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.  They were terrified, but the angel reassured them.  “Don’t be afraid!” he said.  “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.  The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And you will recognize him by this sign:  You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”  Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”  Luke 2:4-14(NLT)

Surprises come suddenly.  (Now there’s a news flash!)

I’ve never actually liked the idea of surprises.  But surprises don’t ask if they can happen; they just happen.  That is why they’re called surprises – they surprise you!  They’re autonomous – they decide when, where, how much, and with what purpose they happen.  All you have is your reaction to the surprise.

This is why surprises aren’t my favorite thing; I’d like to be able to pick and choose which things life has permission to throw at me.  That surprise 16^th birthday party was ok, but nearly severing my big toe back in 1987 was something I would have crossed-off the dance card if I’d known about how weak that aquarium glass was if you put your foot against it to scoot it across the carport.  Surprises sometimes include blood!

The shepherds understood surprises; you don’t care for flocks of sheep, notoriously dumb animals that wander around, falling into all kinds of troubling predicaments, without being familiar with surprises.  It’s just that the shepherds weren’t prepared for an angel and a choir the size of the New Year’s Eve Times Square crowd floating in the night air above.  Surprises can sometimes be terrifying.

But now, later that night, look at the faces of those shepherds, and tell me what happens when a surprise from heaven settles-in to do its work in your life:

Notice that all six faces in the picture (7 if you count the cow) are illuminated.  The artist wanted us to know something about these faces and the worth of this surprise.

We know Mary’s face, a young teen with her firstborn; how do you put into words the joy and overwhelming sense of fearful wonder that you won’t be good enough for all this? 

At Mary’s side, with his hands folded on the cow’s head, we see contented joy.  This shepherd is just taking-in the human moment…and why not?  It’s not often a common shepherd gets to participate in a world-class event…and in a front-row seat!

The Man in the lower left with hands clasped in a prayerful pose shows wonder, his face is an I-don’t-know-what-to-make-of-this prayerful plea of anxiety over what this will mean; will it all be alright?

The boy next to Mary is pure, excited joy.  “Do you believe this; man, this is great” is the expression of youthful naiveté, who cannot possibly see anything but the upside.  This is the Hallmark moment under the Christmas tree; all gift, no grief.

And lastly (besides the cow who may be looking more at the hay that was supposed to be her supper), at the far (upper) left is a man’s face that speaks the shadow of the cross to me.  His right hand is near his heart, and the left raised in something of a benedictory pose.  At first glance I saw just a bland, unfeeling look on that face.  But on deeper examination I see the pathos of future surprises for this child that transcends such a serene moment of a new baby’s untouched life.  This prayerful shepherd understands life will not be all picnics and walks in the park. 

There are indeed hard times ahead for the Christ child.  His willingness to accept all of it, so I can experience His joy, is present enough for me.

For You Today

My deepest prayer for you today is that whatever you’re preparing for, and whomever you will celebrate this Christmas eve, and the season with, that all these emotions and assurances will be yours, like the suddenly surprises the angels brought so long ago to the shepherds.  Contented joy, mixed with a little anxious anticipation, regained naiveté, and the wisdom of preparing for the cross.  Blessed Christmas…. good tidings!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com

Be Present Like a Child

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Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.  Romans 12:21(NLT)

I have a pastor-friend in Missouri whom I’ve never met.  Roger and I are Facebook friends.  He often posts a devotional thought, and a few months ago pointed out the word Jesus spoke when healing a blind person – ephatha, which means be opened.  Jesus gave sight back to this unseeing one.  Our prayer in the United Methodist Church is that marketing slogan we adopted some years back, open hearts, minds, and doors.  We long to be open “…to much more than what we currently understand; to those who may not look, act, or dress, or speak, or even think like we do.”[2]

The truth is our hearts and minds MUST be open if we ever hope to open the doors that shut us off from each other in this culture.

Our theology – what we know about God – must determine and drive the actions of our everyday lives.  We follow Jesus, not the world’s fads, customs and behaviors.  So, this is all about relationships, not just how we treat one another, but how we act and work together, so we can serve as God’s ambassadors to the world. 

Paul tells us to faithfully serve together to transform a world steeped in anger, hostility, rage, and vengeance into a place of peace.  This peace is shalom, not just a treaty signed, but a condition of the heart which is characterized by everything that makes life worth living.  It’s that place where the lamb and lion can lie down together, and everything will be just fine!

The manger was where God chose to start that whole process.

This morning – a ONE-POINT SERMON (can you believe it?).

Showing-up, being present like a child, is 100% of what God requires of a disciple

To “show up” is to be present, not just in body, but with everything you’ve got:

·      An open mind – to learn what God wants you to do.

·      An open calendar – to let God’s business have priority in your life.

·      An open wallet – to be uncaptured by the world’s materialistic ways.

·      An open life – to be transparent as a witness for the Gospel good news.

·      An open heart – to go for God when, where, how, and why He sends you.

To show up is to be what we started out with as we studied Romans 12 – becoming a living sacrifice, offering who we are in total to Christ.  We are like the Magi, covering great distance if we must, bearing precious gifts – not gold, frankincense, myrrh, or even a new Lexus…but the most precious of all, we bear the gift of our will, laid on the altar of our time, talent, and tithe.  In the words of the Gospel hymn-writer:

We surrender all!

In Romans 12: Paul called this surrender “holy”.  What makes the living sacrifice holy is that you do those things that will honor God.  You submit to His authority.  Jesus did that in the Garden of Gethsemane; He prayed:  Not my will, Father…yours!

How is your commitment level?  Are you giving God the respect He is due? 

Evil is all around us and it is so easy to get overwhelmed or discouraged by what we see in the newspapers and on the nightly news.  It’s so easy to drop out and just look after your own.  But that is not Christ’s call on our life, is it?  Christ bids us to come and die to self, so we can live for Him.  He calls us to overcome evil with good

Christian believers reject the standards and behaviors of this world’s culture in favor of following Jesus, making disciples, and transforming the world.

Conclusion

Are you tired of doing things to please the people who were instrumental in your early years?  Have you ever questioned why you do what you do? 

           Do you have a job because that’s what people do – they go off to work? 

           Do you belong to a church because that’s what the good people do? 

           Do you behave yourself in public just because that’s what decent citizens do?

Wouldn’t you rather have a vision?

Wouldn’t you rather be on a mission?   

Wouldn’t you rather have a purpose for your life that is overwhelming and drives you to the very depth of the well of joy and meaning in life? 

If that is your desire – surrender your life to the will of God.  Break out of this world’s mold of greed, materialism and selfishness. 

Overcome evil by choosing to follow the One Who IS good!

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; Let the church say “Amen”!

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[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com

[2] Adapted from a post by Roger Carey on Facebook: "Be Opened-Ehphatha", Morning Musings-10/4/2018

Turning Away

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Friday, December 21, 2018

Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ.  Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering.  Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things.  You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy.  You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.  So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord.  Remember the great reward it brings you!  Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will.  Then you will receive all that he has promised.  “For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay.  And my righteous ones will live by faith.  But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”  But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction.  We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved,  Hebrews 10:32-39(NLT)

Covenant-breaking, the act of starting-out in faith, and then turning away from that faith, is not a light subject.  Nor is it a subject you will find lacking in the Scriptures:

Moses warned God’s covenant people Israel:

…and if you break my covenant by rejecting my decrees, treating my regulations with contempt, and refusing to obey my commands, I will punish you.  I will bring sudden terrors upon you—wasting diseases and burning fevers that will cause your eyes to fail and your life to ebb away.  You will plant your crops in vain because your enemies will eat them.  I will turn against you, and you will be defeated by your enemies.  Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will run even when no one is chasing you!  “And if, in spite of all this, you still disobey me, I will punish you seven times over for your sins.  I will break your proud spirit by making the skies as unyielding as iron and the earth as hard as bronze.  All your work will be for nothing, for your land will yield no crops, and your trees will bear no fruit.  Leviticus 26:15-19(NLT)

Jesus warned his followers about being shallow seed (Luke 8:13), and gets really specific a few chapters later about people who profess faith, and then, through spiritual laziness allow unbelief to take over:

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.  “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest.  But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’  So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order.  Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there.  And so that person is worse off than before.”  Luke 11:23-26(NLT)

In his debate with the chief priests and elders at the temple (Matthew 21) Jesus warned them that the kingdom would be taken from them because of their turning-away from God.  The same about his Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:24), where those who took the position of disciples later got disillusioned and just quit due to unbelief.  Jesus’ teaching at this point can be summed-up in one simple, but chilling statement:

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other.  Luke 16:13(NLT)

Timothy was warned by Paul about the shipwreck of faith (1 Timothy 1:19), even naming Hymenaeus and Alexander, two disciples who turned away.  He also warned the young pastor (1 Timothy 4:1ff) about disciples getting overwhelmed by seducing spirits, dwelling on one obscure or interesting sideline kind of issue (like somebody else’s sin), and getting lost by taking your eye off the priority of serving. 

Peter, the impetuous disciple, became quite a leader, warning the flock about (of all things) a lack of patience:

You already know these things, dear friends.  So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.  Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  2 Peter 3:17-18(NLT)

Turning the leaf back over from unbelief to faith, trusting in God, staying the course in and out of season, remember the great reward Hebrews offers to faithful servants.  God’s choice for His servants isn’t wrath, punishment and pain.  Rather, God wants to bless us – but we’ll never see it if we turn away!

For You Today

Have you been walking through a rough patch?  Is it getting so you only dwell on the sins and failures of others, and the loneliness that accompanies serving Christ? 

Take heart as we give the Apostle Paul the last word today:

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.  Galatians 6:9(NLT)

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com