Standing Out Where No One Can See

 

Monday, April 26, 2021

Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem.  Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”  But Samuel asked, “How can I do that?  If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”  “Take a heifer with you,” the Lord replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord.  Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me.”  So Samuel did as the Lord instructed.  When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him.  “What’s wrong?” they asked.  “Do you come in peace?”  “Yes,” Samuel replied.  “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.  Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.”  Then Samuel performed the purification rite for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice, too.  When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!”  But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them.  People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:1-7

David was about to be picked as the next king of Israel, and Samuel, prophet, and consummate-insider to the current king, doesn’t have a clue.  He was looking for the tall, impressive, kingly sort, and Eliab seemed to fit that profile.  His picture would look good on Israel’s Chamber of Commerce brochure inviting people to visit and spend their cash.  He would be a dashing, electrifying figure in a chariot for the army and cavalry soldiers – a very inspiring presence for sending them off to war.  But God said, Nope…not him.  He doesn’t have the heart I’m looking for.

And who, exactly is the one who does have that kind of heart?  It was David – somewhat less-impressive in the Instagram sense – not likely to grab the attention of the Kardashian followers.  But David had a heart in tune with God’s heart.  And that is always where God is looking.

We live in a world that has gone mad for the rock-star mentality.  It is about as certain as the sun rising in the east that sound-bites, beauty, charm, and outlandish lifestyles will grab the attention of the public like a dangling lure will attract trout (for at least 5 minutes).  But in the realm of substantive choices, God is looking for those who have heeded what David’s son, Solomon would one day write:

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.  Proverbs 4:23

So, what was it about David that developed such a heart?  David lived a life of quiet, but certain, dedication to finding and following God’s will.  His heart was bent towards all the things God loves, faithfulness, purity in lifestyle, righteousness over appetites, and more.  It is the simple statement of another of God’s prophets that wraps up having a heart of which God approves:

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.  Micah 6:8

For You Today

It’s easy to get sucked-into grabbing for attention and an audience of followers.  That’s mainstreaming, but it also leads to a façade of glitz, which, at the end of the day, will fade into a newer, glitzier model.  But a heart for God will never go out of style.  And never is a lot longer-lasting than just a moment in time.

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

[1] Title Image: Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

Legacy of Lies

[1]

Friday, November 3, 2017

But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you.  They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them.  In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves.  Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality.  And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered.  In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money.  But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.  2 Peter 2:1-3^(NLT)

I’ve got to confess this text has always worried me.  As one who is a pastor, under-shepherd to God’s flock, and stands behind the sacred desk each week teaching and preaching God’s Word, the weight of truth-telling is sometimes excruciating.  To be sure, I’m not worried about God’s Word being true; that’s been settled in my soul for many years.  I worry about me; I’m always concerned about my ability to not mix-in anything that will turn the truth into fable, and in so-doing, slander the Gospel. 

I have a good friend to whom I confided this irksome fear; he told me that he would be worried about me if I wasn’t concerned about that.  He said:  The Gospel is too important to take lightly.  Always check your motive for what you preach.

On the other side of this thought lurk two other types of teachers, both false.  There are those who teach from ignorance, not understanding the truth, perhaps because of naivety or lack of giftedness.  But the worst kind of false teacher is intentional; truth is known, but replaced with whatever lie will bring the highest payoff.

What’s odd about our culture is that false teachers hyping the biggest lies are the ones we seem to elevate the most.  The fame and fortune which false teachers have as their target rolls-in like ants sticking to an anteater’s tongue.  It’s just wrong, but it’s also understandable, considering the way success is idolized and worshipped in American life.  We want our leaders slick, smiling and smoothly telling us the lies we want to hear.

Peter said the legacy of such liars is destruction.  We may not see it, but it is happening!  James Russell Lowell wrote:

Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne,—       

Yet that scaffold sways the future, and, behind the dim unknown,           

Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.[2]          

Behind the dim unknown cloud of lies permeating culture, relationships, and even the church, there is JHWH, Jehovah-God, the One who is everlasting, all-knowing, and everywhere moving the events of history and human beings towards His will and purpose.  In the end God’s watch over his own will produce justice.  The legacy of lies is death…and that in God’s own timing.

For You Today

Moving into the light of God’s life means turning your back on a legacy filled with lies, and beginning a life-long love affair with truth.

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

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[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com

[2] James Russell Lowell, The Present Crisis

American Dream

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning?  They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him.   James 4:5 (NLT)

I was reminded the other night that American Idol is about to return to TV.

Hmmmmm.

Chuck Swindoll, president at Dallas Theological Seminary has a wonderful little story in one of his books, which speaks volumes more than I could ever say about the mentality of such shows:

Maybe you heard about the guy who fell in love with an opera singer.  He hardly knew her, since his only view of the singer was through binoculars – from the third balcony.  But he was convinced he could live “happily ever after” married to a voice like that.  He scarcely noticed she was considerably older than he.  Nor did he care that she walked with a limp.  Her mezzo-soprano voice would take them through whatever might come. 

After a whirlwind romance and a hurry-up ceremony, they were off for their honeymoon together.

She began to prepare for their first night together.  As he watched, his chin dropped to his chest. 

She plucked out her glass eye and plopped it into a container on the nightstand.  She pulled off her wig, ripped off her false eyelashes, yanked out her dentures, unstrapped her artificial leg, and smiled at him as she slipped off her glasses that hid her hearing aid. 

Stunned and horrified, he gasped, For goodness sake, woman, sing, sing, SING! [1]

As the ancient saying goes, love is blind, which is obviously a warning that it pays to “look below the surface”.  It is a smart thing to understand what you’re doing before you do what you’re about to do; look before you leap!  In the case of the star-struck young man “in love” with his opera star, the American Dream became more of his personal nightmare.

We Americans have a love affair with fame and glitz.  We love to have our romantic ideals placed upon the stages of our otherwise boring lives.  Somehow, 60 minutes of tension, filled with “will she win; can he do it” is what does it for us.  We need all those videos, dramatic vocal and instrumental crashes, with sound bites and audience whoops to make our lives meaningful.  (All that AND a new “live or die” tattoo down at Jimmy’s Body Art and Bait Shoppe).

Now, don’t get me wrong altogether – I’m not against entertainment, music or someone who can really perform (I’m actually rather jealous of anyone who can carry a tune!).  It’s really just the lack of proportionality of it all.  There’s just something odd about placing second on American Idol, and, five minutes later you’re qualified to run for Congress.  (That’s strange even in North Carolina!)

I guess when it comes to hero-worship, my bar has been set pretty high.  You can find exactly what will impress me if you travel down the Via Dolorosa, away from Jerusalem, all the way to the hill that looks like a skull.

That’s my stage; and it’s more than an American Dream – that’s where my life begins.

For You Today:

Remember, I didn’t say you’re evil if you watch American Idol; I just said you’re settling for way less than is out there!

Go for the Jerusalem idol; you won’t be disappointed in Him!

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[1] Strike the Original Match Zondervan, 1993