A Little On the Dumb Side!

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the people of Israel to bring you twelve wooden staffs, one from each leader of Israel’s ancestral tribes, and inscribe each leader’s name on his staff.  Inscribe Aaron’s name on the staff of the tribe of Levi, for there must be one staff for the leader of each ancestral tribe.  Place these staffs in the Tabernacle in front of the Ark containing the tablets of the Covenant, where I meet with you.  Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose.  Then I will finally put an end to the people’s murmuring and complaining against you.”  So Moses gave the instructions to the people of Israel, and each of the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron, brought Moses a staff.  Moses placed the staffs in the Lord’s presence in the Tabernacle of the Covenant.  When he went into the Tabernacle of the Covenant the next day, he found that Aaron’s staff, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds!  When Moses brought all the staffs out from the Lord’s presence, he showed them to the people.  Each man claimed his own staff.  And the Lord said to Moses: “Place Aaron’s staff permanently before the Ark of the Covenant to serve as a warning to rebels.  This should put an end to their complaints against me and prevent any further deaths.”  So Moses did as the Lord commanded him.  Then the people of Israel said to Moses, “Look, we are doomed!  We are dead!  We are ruined!  Everyone who even comes close to the Tabernacle of the Lord dies.  Are we all doomed to die?”  Numbers 17:1-13

If there is one consistent theme in Scripture about the people of God it’s their inconsistency (with a few notable exceptions).  It’s like that New Year’s resolution you make about eating less, working-out more, and avoiding driving past Krispy Kreme; the vow lasts until the next temptation arrives.  And so it goes.

The next temptation for Israel was always grumbling about the way they were led; the target of their grumbling was all about the leader, Moses, a humble man. But over and again God had demonstrated Moses was the leader.  Even with a dead stick budding, blooming, and producing ripe almonds, all in the space of one night[1], demonstrating God’s leadership choice, God’s gracious miracle only produced fear in the hearts of the people.  And fear will destroy any faith!

Such is the point of this account.  Time after time God’s people were in a crisis and God rescued them from danger; each time there was immediate relief, but the return to fear and grumbling (with its accompanying unbelief, or lack of faith) arrived within nanoseconds. 

And so it goes…even today.

This problem is not a particularly Jewish thing; it’s endemic to humanity.  It started with the first sin in the Garden of Eden.  Adam and Eve took a bite, realized their separation from God, heard the Lord approaching, and they hid!  They hid because of their shame, knowing (as fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil suggests), that they were now less than they were created to be, and had separated themselves from God.  And what were they hiding from?  The Lord, the solution to their problem.  And what did they do about it when busted for their sins?  They offered excuses trying to deflect their responsibility to others:

      Eve:  The serpent tricked me 

      Adam:  Lord, the woman YOU made, gave me that bite.  And so it goes.

For You Today 

The question of the day (and of the ages) is…when we’ve seen how that worked-out for Adam and Eve, why do we join them in that foolishness?  All it produces is more fear and grumbling.  When fear arises, it kills your faith.  Wouldn’t it save a myriad of trouble and heartache to live in faith, and let it destroy your fears?

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

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library.

Title Image Pixabay.com  Images without citation are in public domain or cited via weblinks.  

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©  

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[1] It takes one year after a bush has matured (3-4 years) to produce the first crop – see Nav Athwal article Forbes

Leading By Circular Logic

Friday, October 20, 2023

And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches.  I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ.  And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world.  As a fellow elder, I appeal to you:  Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you.  Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.  Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.  And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.  In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders.  And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  1 Peter 5:1-5

Apostle Peter addresses elders, leaders in God’s church, with instruction on how to lead.  This instruction is mostly about the attitude of a leader.  Note the words the big fisherman uses about the tenderness with which a church leader leads the flock entrusted to him:  care…watch over…lead by example.  And then Peter closes the door on the matter with the fact that humility covers all of it.

There are two caveats we must add to this leadership seminar of Peter’s:

1.    Leaders cannot lead this way unless followers follow this way.

2.    True followers will follow if leaders lead this way.

Every instruction God ever gave is predicated on the truth of God’s creation.  Those upon whom God places His call to lead in the church must respond to God’s call by leading selflessly, caring for the flock without pursuing personal gain.  Those who follow must respond, expecting to follow.  It’s a form of “circular logic” and requires trust (faith) in all directions.

Circular logic (or circular reasoning) is most often defined in a pejorative, or belittling sense.  With those for whom logic is the only acceptable pathway, the idea of faith must never cloud the issue.  That person would say about God, prove to me that God exists.  Believers answer that without faith (defined as a blind-leap without proof) it is impossible.  But if you believe (trust) He is real, you will have all the proof you need.  Another way to express that is from the atheist view:

An atheist says:  I won’t believe in God until I see Him.

A believer responds:  You’ll never see Him until you believe.

This same issue is true in the Leader/Follower issue Peter presented in his epistle:

Skeptical Christian:  I won’t trust or follow unless that leader is proven worthy

God’s Word replies: Have faith and by your faith I’ll make that leader worthy.

For You Today 

Is faith a form of circular logic? 

Absolutely!  

It begins with:  

In the beginning God…

It flows through:  

For God so loved…that He gave…

It ends full circle with:  

Even so, come Lord Jesus…

Circular logic may make the hair stand up on the back of a scientist’s or philosopher’s neck, but faith begins in the heart of a human being, created by God, for His glory and our good.  It won’t float in this world’s view, but for those who respond in faith, they will see God face to face.

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

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library.

Title Image Pixabay.com  Images without citation are in public domain or cited via weblinks.  

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©   

God's Generals

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

This day’s lectionary readings display three major characters in Scripture, King David, Moses, and Paul, and the ministry difficulties they faced.  Each passage focuses on their struggle with adversaries, and showcases the model for effective, Christ-honoring servant-leadership.  We can learn from each of them.

King David had his life threatened constantly.  It seemed that often the threats were going to be successful.  David’s first public act was as a young boy standing up to Goliath.  Ever the underdog, God prospered the young man from Jesse’s household.  David suffered bouts of self-doubt and fearing the worst (who could be confident when chased by an army?).  But faith returned again and again.  Listen to an older David’s heart:

Why am I discouraged?  Why is my heart so sad?  I will put my hope in God!  I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!  Psalm 42:11

Moses led Israel out of Egyptian bondage, and he had more than his share of adversaries who wanted to turn back.  Holding court for peanut-sized issues took all day.  Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, saw how Moses was being worn-out with settling minor disputes and problems, and advised him to find Godly leaders to help shoulder the load.  Moses took Jethro’s advice and diligently built a structure to honor God’s ways, and keep God’s people focused on the mission.

Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions.  He chose capable men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people.  Exodus 18:24-25a

Paul is the poster child for leaders with critics who were trying to undermine and siderail his ministry.  The most glaring example were those who preached the Gospel out of envy for Paul’s success.  They thought that building their own following would put Paul to shame.  They wanted him to rot in prison.  Paul’s letter to the Philippian believers was his response, the selfless, Christ-focused answer of the ages:

Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ.  They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me.  But that doesn’t matter.  Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice….For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past.  And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.  For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.  Philippians 1:17-18, 20-21

For You Today 

The models of Moses, David, and Paul take personal hardships and transform them into mirrors which reflect God’s power and goodness.  All who lead in God’s family should make it a life-goal to do the same.

·       Like David, learn to put fears and worries in the rear-view mirror.

·       Like Moses, listen to sound advice from elders who love God.

·       Like Paul, trust and lean on God’s decision about the future, and continue serving until he calls you home.

It’s safe ground to follow the leadership style of God’s choice vessels.  If you’re going to lead in God’s army, study His best Generals.

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

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library.

Title Image(s) courtesy of Wikimedia.com (see each individual picture for link to source)                   

Images without citation are in public domain.  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©   

Leadership 101

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

“Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen.  He is my Beloved, who pleases me.  I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public.  He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle.  Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.  And his name will be the hope of all the world.”  

Matthew 12:18-21  

The religious rulers (Pharisees) were concocting a plot to kill Jesus because he did such horrible things, like heal a crippled man on the Sabbath.  Well, that was the premise – the real reason was Jesus’ popularity with the masses, and the resultant diminishing power of the Pharisees.  Becoming a Pharisee gave one power over others, and there are few who give-up that kind of power once they have it!  (The insurrection of January 6, 2021 ought to be viewed in that light!)

By contrast, Matthew, the former tax collector, holding riches and a fair amount of power over his countrymen, was now a disciple of Jesus.  He looked at the unfolding drama of Pharisees vs. the upstart preacher, and immediately recalled Isaiah’s prophecy.  The ancient prophet said God’s chosen Messiah would not be a power-monger, shouting orders and brawling; he would be the victorious hope of the entire world, in the gentlest of ways[1].  This is one of the most startling, counter-cultural statements one finds in Scripture about true leadership.

By nature, counter-cultural movements are defined by confrontation.  Truth confronts lies.  Darkness confronts light.  Hope confronts despair.  So, wherever counter-culture and presiding-culture intersect, you will also find confrontation.  In the realm of good and evil, it is a spiritual war, fought in the recesses of the mind, and evidenced in behavior we accept, or would even die-for.  In the penultimate war between Heaven and hell, eternity’s finest leader set the pattern for all leaders…meekly hanging on a cross, for the souls of all humankind.

What Jesus enacted on the cross was the shedding of blood for the remission of sins[2], for the whole of humanity, for all eternity.  A side benefit of seeing how he did this, humbly, the quiet sacrifical lamb, offering himself for our lives, is to see the quintessence of true leadership.  It is the embodiment of what God told the prophet Zechariah about the way Zerubbabel would cut a path to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple:

It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies…. Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin,  Zechariah 4:6b, 10

The work of Christ on the cross for us was (in the eyes of Rome’s Caesar, and even the apostles, and much of the world today) a small beginning.  And it’s a reasonable thought – one man’s death is hardly noticed by the world.  But the death of one, inhabited and led by the Spirit of God, to do the works of the Father, is that which brings rejoicing in Heaven.

For You Today 

You may consider yourself inconsequential in the grand scheme of world history.  You may imagine your footprint will be washed-away with the next tide when you draw your last breath.  But, if the Psalmist is right, that thought cannot be right.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.  Psalm 116:15

Lest we forget that the Lord rejoices over the smallest of beginnings in His service;  whatever you have done, led by His Spirit, done in righteousness for His name, will live on as the holy Temple built without human hands.

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

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  

 

Title Image:  via Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©  

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[1] Isaiah 42:1-4

[2] Hebrews 9:22

 

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.

Hiding From TRUTH

 

Friday, March 17, 2023

But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord:  your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice?  Listen!  Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.  Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.  So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”  Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned.  I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.  But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the Lord.”  But Samuel replied, “I will not go back with you!  Since you have rejected the Lord’s command, he has rejected you as king of Israel.”  As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe.  And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you.  And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!”  Then Saul pleaded again, “I know I have sinned.  But please, at least honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel by coming back with me so that I may worship the Lord your God.”  So Samuel finally agreed and went back with him, and Saul worshiped the Lord.  

1 Samuel 15:22-31

A mask hides what’s underneath.  Symptoms can mask a deeper problem.  Criminals wear masks, and use masks to hide their activities when caught.  Even when apprehended in the very act of their crime, an excuse mask is an attempt to wiggle-free from the consequences.  Masks are common, weak, and ever-present; just ask King Saul.

Saul knew what God wanted him to do, completely destroy the Amalekite nation.  He began well, but never completed his mission.  When it came to finishing the task, he tweaked the orders to savor some of the victory for himself.  He didn’t put the Amalekite King Agag (a ruthless killer) to the sword.  He also managed to pocket some of the wealth of the nation (livestock).  The reasons were obvious; parading the captured king Agag like a puppet on a string would build Saul’s prestige among the people he ruled.  And keeping the livestock to provide a feast for the people…well, feed them and who can get angry?  Keeping the critics off your back is sometimes a full-time job when you’re a king (or any other leader).

When questioned by the prophet Samuel about his rebelliousness, Saul put on his best excuse mask, deflecting Samuel’s questioning accusation.  The livestock were for a sacrifice to honor Jehovah.  From Samuel’s answer we can easily see that he saw right through it, and it disgusted the prophet.  He told Saul God was done with him, because he didn’t know the difference between building his own name, and honoring God’s name.  This incident is how Saul found out that, where God is concerned, there is no such thing as playing both sides of truth.  No mask is capable of hiding you from He who IS truth.  Saul tried to claim some of the glory and spoils that God had said were not to be spared.  That is not a plan that ever turns out pretty!

For You Today 

One of the reasons God gave us REGULAR worship is we are surrounded by reminders of what it is like to live in truth, and we are then more likely to value living in truth, than grabbing whatever we can obtain by untruth.  Saul learned that lesson the hard way, and it cost him whatever honor and place in the Kingdom he thought he possessed.  He was afraid of the people’s opinion of him; he should have been concerned with God’s opinion.

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

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There are about 2,500 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper explore some of these:  A Rebellious Servant - Part 1  and A Rebellious Servant - Part 2  

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

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