Howling At the Moon (and accomplishing what?)

Monday, May 15, 2023

The Lord is king! He is robed in majesty.  Indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength.  The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.  Your throne, O Lord, has stood from time immemorial.  You yourself are from the everlasting past.  The floods have risen up, O Lord.  The floods have roared like thunder; the floods have lifted their pounding waves.  But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore—the Lord above is mightier than these!  Your royal laws cannot be changed.  Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever.  Psalm 93:1-5

God’s sovereignty is proclaimed throughout the Lord’s Holy Scripture.  In Heaven there is no doubt Who reigns in the universe.  Not so much on planet earth. 

King Nebuchadnezzar of ancient Babylon, an arch-enemy of Jerusalem, howled at the moon more than once in his life.  A poetic what-goes-around-comes-around is portrayed by the arrogant king’s pursuit of power, riches, and the ultimate humiliation that lust brought.  He fought, won, and destroyed Jerusalem, killing, capturing, and looting, the nation’s treasures and temple, devouring God’s people like a monster[1].  Nebuchadnezzar imagined himself invincible; he never lost.  He even set up a gold statue of himself, 90-feet high, and everyone had to worship the statue, because the king proclaimed himself god! 

But in the end, God removed Nebuchadnezzar from the throne of Babylon, and he roamed the countryside for seven years, like a madman, howling at the moon.[2]

Scripture tells us that the whole panorama of Nebuchadnezzar’s rule and life was orchestrated by God.  Jeremiah had prophesied it long before it began:

This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah.  This is what the Lord said to me:  “Make a yoke, and fasten it on your neck with leather straps.  Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their ambassadors who have come to see King Zedekiah in Jerusalem.  Give them this message for their masters:  ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says:  With my great strength and powerful arm I made the earth and all its people and every animal.  I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose.  Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant.  I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.  Jeremiah 27:1-6

The great professional boxer, Muhammhed Ali, was known for his brash, self-promotion.  Without blushing he often proclaimed after winning a match against his opponents:  I am the greatest.  At one press interview a reporter asked him if he really meant what he said, or was it just bragging.  Ali looked at the reporter and sneered:  It’s not bragging if you can back it up.

Nebuchadnezzars and professional boxer’s trash-talking may have some teeth, and last for a news cycle, but their (so-called) reign is tied to a leash.  The One who holds the other end of that leash is God…the one (and only) true God.

For You Today 

When it comes to classical narcissism, otherwise known as bragging, aggrandizing, or self-promoting…choose the humility of keeping your mouth closed.  People may think you’re a fool, but opening your mouth often proves them right.

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

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,500 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper explore some of these:   Game Over  and  The Trouble With Theological Heels  and God Sovereign Series:  Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5

Title Image:  via Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©  

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[1] See Jeremiah 51:34

[2] See Daniel 3-5

I Wonder...Me Too!

 

Friday, May 12, 2023

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.  1 Corinthians 13:12

Everyone wonders about the big questions of life, its purpose, meaning, origin, and where we will go afterwards. Such thoughts lead to one of two conclusions, both typically immersed in more questions than a human brain can entertain in a lifetime.  Those conclusions are either faith or unbelief.  To believe in God is to trust in the unseen.  Unbelief settles for what is in front of you – what you now see, touch, smell, and imagine with sensory gifts (wherever they came from, eh?).

Wayne Dryer, in a book entitled Your Sacred Self, has a delightfully-engaging parable that argues for faith:

In a mother’s womb were two babies. One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?”  The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”

“Nonsense,” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”

The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.”

The first replied, “That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.”

The second insisted, “Well I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.”

The first replied, “Nonsense. And moreover, if there is life, then why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery, there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.”

“Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us.”

The first replied “Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists then where is She now?”

The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her, this world would not and could not exist.”

Said the first: “Well I don’t see Her, so it is only logical that She doesn’t exist.”

To which the second replied, “Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and listen, you can perceive Her presence, and you can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above.”

For You Today 

If Scripture has it right (and I have faith it does), then we ought to let these little children have the lead, and hold it dear until it’s clear!

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

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,500 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper explore some of these:   No More!  and  Say What?   

Title Image:  by Evgeniya Semenova   Images without citation are in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©   

Like Noah's Day

Thursday, May 11, 2023

The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.  So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth.  It broke his heart.  And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth.  Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.”  But Noah found favor with the Lord.  This is the account of Noah and his family.  Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.  Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.  Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence.  God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt.  So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence.  Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!  Genesis 6:5-13

Scripture points out that God is always watching the unfolding of His creation.  In Noah’s day it was not a pretty sight.  Imagine God, Who is holy, looking at the activities, thoughts, and hearts of human beings, and finding nothing but darkness.  In the 21^st century we are accustomed to hearing of the grace and mercy of God; Genesis introduces us to the justice of God. 

This passage of Scripture sets the tone for all theologically-sound doctrine, what we can say with confidence about the nature of God.  God’s evaluation of all human activity was evil wickedness, including our thoughts and intentions. 

The result of such is that we have filled the earth with wickedness and violence.  Who could argue with that, considering the state of our world.

·       In the 21^st-Century life is daily filled with news of disasters and tragic accounts of loss and doom. 

·       Every possible dark thing that takes place on earth is streaming on the Internet. 

·       There has never been a time in the history of human existence without a war going on somewhere on the planet; Cain killing Abel originated the murderous mele.

·       Deceit, greed, and selfishness have pervasively become the norm for interpersonal relationships.  And all of that has systematically unravelled the hope of family and even civil relationships in communities.

·       Sodom and Gomorrah are thriving!

It’s not stretching the truth to say that, had God not promised Noah the destruction of all life would never again be forthcoming, planet earth and all it holds would be in flames. 

And what our world looks like today is precisely what Jesus predicted would characterize the imminence of His return, bringing judgment to the earth:

“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day.  In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat.  Matthew 24:37-38

For You Today 

Judgment is unavoidable.  Every action, according to the laws of nature and physics, has an equal and opposite reaction.  Evil requires good to mitigate, as does evil attempting to undo good.  God is entirely good; evil will not last.

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

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,500 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper explore some of these:   When It Hurts So Much  and  Good and Evil; the War   

Title Image:  via Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©   

Looking Backward - Looking Forward

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone.  What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”  Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.  A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.  Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham.  And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message.  I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father.  But you are following the advice of your father.”  

John 8:31-38

The obvious is sometimes missed in the prejudice.  The difference between what Jesus meant, and what the short-sighted people wanted to know, is that simple! 

·       They looked backward to Abraham, tracing their beginnings to a man; Jesus was pointing for them to look above earthly lineage, forward to the One who had created both Abraham, and everyone else. 

·       They saw things from a point in time, honoring another point in time; Jesus had held both time and eternity in His hands when He created it all. 

·       They were held captive by their backwards-look; He wanted them to be set free to a Kingdom-forward-look of Who was standing in front of them. 

·       They were looking-back, stuck in pride over their Abrahamic heritage; He wanted to free them to see an eternally blessed forever family.

There are two outcomes in this encounter with the people that were following Jesus.  There are those who could not see, because they had never had their eyes opened by living truth.  And there were those who would not see, because they held their eyes shut, despite having the living truth standing in front of them.  And that prejudice makes all the difference between traveling the road lesser taken, and remaining broken in the past.

How do you tell the difference?  Jesus said that some of them (the ones he was speaking to in that moment) were trying to kill him.  That meant the others were truly seeking the truth, not looking for a reason to stifle the truth.  Closing your eyes against the light does not extinguish what truly exists.  And that is the difference of humility, ready to confess ignorance, and receive forgiveness.  It’s how light enters the heart and you see the forever family Jesus came to create.

For You Today 

Whatever point you have reached in life, regarding a relationship with your Creator, the genuineness of salvation (God’s forgiveness of our sins) was/is dependent on confession of our inability to be forgiven, without the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  You do not begin that relationship with prejudice on the side of human strength; it is only available to those willing to surrender their will to God’s divine, unlimited strength!

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

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,500 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper explore some of these:   Words Chiseled in Stone  and  How Was Your Weekend?   

Title Image:  via Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©   

Communicating...Sorta

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Disclaimer:  Gentlemen…Mother’s Day is at hand….there…you’re warned!

But there is one thing I want you to know:  The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.  1 Corinthians 11:3

It is my belief that men really do want to communicate; contrary to the stereotypes that you see, where the husband has the newspaper up over his face at the kitchen table.  Everything the wife says to him, he grunts a response.  Men aren't that way deep down.  This is a stereotype produced by ignorance.  But, sometimes it shows up in our character, and then in the funny papers.  Leroy and Loretta Lockhorn are walking down the street, and he says to her:  Let's go some place noisy where we can't hear each other.  I don't believe men are really like that; I believe men want to communicate.  Men realize the importance of communication.  The tricky part is doing it! 

Communication is not an exact science.  Women communicate differently than men.  The Bible says we must speak the truth in love.  I believe that to be a bit of Apostle Paul’s advice that applies to both male and female.  By that I mean men and women both believe it; they just practice it differently.  The men relate to the part that says speak the truth.  The women concentrate on in love.  Men are interested in logic, the right brain problem solving mechanism.  Women, however, don't just want truth and problems solved; it must be in a loving way.  Women want to talk about things.  When I arrive home from a day at the office, if my wife has a problem, she wants to discuss it.  There is something therapeutic for her in sharing.  I am a problem-solving machine.  She states the problem, I immediately have a six-point program, complete with intermediate reporting steps and accountability factors to fix that puppy!  And I think I'm doing real well...man I'm communicating!  After dutifully listening for several minutes, my wife loses interest and busies herself in making dinner.  I wonder what in the world I did to make her mad.  Lack of communication. 

We were talking about the same event, but I was bulldozing it out of existence, while she wanted to squeeze every last drop of meaning from the depths of all relationships involved.

In Brewer, Maine, the police got a phone call one time about a woman who was very disturbed.  She was talking to a lady friend of hers on the phone.  After a while the phone just went quiet and all she could hear was gasping breaths in the distance.  She couldn't get her friend to respond.  The police sent a patrol car.  The cop knocked on the door, but could get no response.  She went around to the side and looked in the kitchen window.  There was the woman, spread-eagle on the floor, with the phone next to her.  She thought:  Oh my gosh, she's had a heart attack and died right there!  She was going to break in the door, but knocked just in case there was another family member in the house somewhere.  When the door opened, it was the woman who was laying in the kitchen.  She explained, I'm so sorry.  I guess we were talking too long on the phone.  I laid down on the floor to rest a moment and fell asleep while Hattie was talkin' to me.  (As a preacher I can relate!)

For You Today 

Men need to practice communicating, not dictating orders, solving everybody's problems, being the general in the house.  If a man desires to be called head of the house he will take the time to learn how to communicate with his wife.

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

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,500 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper explore some of these:   No Cannoli  and  A Misunderstanding   

Title Image:  via Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©   

When God Lets the Arrow Fly

Monday, May 8, 2023

When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land.  God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”  So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea.  Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.  Exodus 13:17-18

When God directed Moses to lead his children out of bondage in Egypt, it would have been so easy to march them directly to Canaanland, and let the party begin!  That would have been the way I would have planned the trip.  

It’s about 775 miles from Egypt to Israel, so they could have walked straight there in two months.  But they didn’t cross the Jordan river for 40 years.  Evidently there was a lot more to Israel becoming God’s people, than just 10 plagues and a visit by the death angel, before they would be ready for the prosperity of the Promised Land.

There is much I do not understand about how the sovereignty of God, intersects with the free-will of human beings.  However, the Israelite forty-year layover in the desert[1] is a great teacher of how we can navigate being free-will beings created by a sovereign God.  It all comes down to using the free-will we’ve been gifted, to cooperate with the sovereignty of God’s plans, rather than just do what pleases us.  After all, it is God’s sandbox, and we are visitors, whom God wants to adopt as family.  It pays to be on one’s best behavior!

When it comes to how that behavior shapes our relationship with God, I have this image of an archer with a bow, pointed at a target…the arrow flies, released by the archer.  God is the archer; we are the arrows.  The target to which God points each of us, is the place closest to God’s heart.  He wants us to hit the bullseye (so to speak), and lodge there.  The purpose is blessing.  God wants us close to the source of the universe’s wealth of wisdom and well-being.  He wants what’s best for us.  The problem for we arrows, having been released from the bow string, is we have freedom to be blown about by gusts of winds, or objects (all kinds of sins against hitting the target). 

While God’s eye is never off the arrows he releases, our free will is a type of sovereignty over the moments we are granted to live.  We are pointed at the right target; we have free will to choose how we respond to the direction we’re given. That direction is clearly stated in the prophecy of Micah 6:8:

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. 

The arrow God releases into this vastness of free will invariably chooses to do what is wrong, love power, and walk arrogantly and selfishly, despising God.  And God allows that.  (Full Stop)

The full weight of sovereignty of humankind over their destination is a gift of God to His loved creation.  But the weight of that gift’s incredible value is the corresponding accountability of consequence for corrupting the gift against the holiness of God.  (Again – Full Stop)  We despise God’s sovereignty with our free will, and the result is spiritual Chernobyl.

For You Today 

You have freedom; choose wisely how to cooperate with God today.

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

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,500 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper explore some of these:   An Uncertain Path  and  Cloud by Day - Fire by Night   

Title Image:  via Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©  

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[1] Read all of the Exodus story, from Moses at the burning bush, to the miraculous rescue of God’s people at the Red Sea, and provision of God through 40 years of wandering in the desert.