Faith Seasoned Wisdom

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Then Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother, Esau, who was living in the region of Seir in the land of Edom.  He told them, “Give this message to my master Esau: ‘Humble greetings from your servant Jacob.  Until now I have been living with Uncle Laban, and now I own cattle, donkeys, flocks of sheep and goats, and many servants, both men and women.  I have sent these messengers to inform my lord of my coming, hoping that you will be friendly to me.’”  After delivering the message, the messengers returned to Jacob and reported, “We met your brother, Esau, and he is already on his way to meet you—with an army of 400 men!”  Jacob was terrified at the news.  He divided his household, along with the flocks and herds and camels, into two groups.  He thought, “If Esau meets one group and attacks it, perhaps the other group can escape.”  Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my grandfather Abraham, and God of my father, Isaac—O Lord, you told me, ‘Return to your own land and to your relatives.’ And you promised me, ‘I will treat you kindly.’  I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant.  When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps!  O Lord, please rescue me from the hand of my brother, Esau.  I am afraid that he is coming to attack me, along with my wives and children.  But you promised me, ‘I will surely treat you kindly, and I will multiply your descendants until they become as numerous as the sands along the seashore—too many to count.’”  Genesis 32:3-12

To learn from your mistakes is the essential quality of wisdom.  To apply faith to wisdom is to serve God above all.  Jacob had a rocky, selfish start to life.  It started in his mother’s womb, when he and his twin brother, Esau, had a daily wrestling match.  As they were born, Esau was first out, but Jacob was hot on his heels, actually grabbing his brother’s foot.  It was sibling rivalry with the first breath.

The story of their lives in their father Isaac’s home was contentious, to say the least.  Jacob’s selfish behavior divided his mother and dad, and made an enemy of his twin brother.  Esau was so angry with his brother’s treacherous ways, Jacob had to leave home and go live with their uncle Laban at a safe distance.  Esau swore he’d kill his twin if ever they met again.

Fast forward twenty years…Jacob is much wiser, and is on his way home to reconcile with his family.  He has no clue as to Esau’s mindset…will his brother make good on his vengeance threat?  Will it end in calamity?  Jacob is wise at this point, dividing his wives and children into two camps, hoping to minimize losses of life and property, if Esau is still bent on Jacob’s death.  But a new dimension has foraged its’ way into Jacob’s life and thinking – faith!  The night before he was to face Esau, he met face-to-face with God’s angel, and the outcome was Jacob’s commitment to serve God, and live by faith, even if it meant giving up everything he'd gained, or even his own life. 

What Jacob had learned was what Jesus told Peter hundreds of years later – swords, be they steel or the treachery of human selfishness, may work for awhile, but they have little place in the heart of God.  It is faith that wins.[1] 

Seasoning the wisdom of learned mistakes and rocky roads, with faith God has given, is the mark of a life changed and usable in God’s Kingdom.  It took Jacob decades of hard lessons to shed his clever ways in favor of God’s clear kindness…the deep faith of the unashamed!

For You Today 

This world will afford you many opportunities to follow both Esau and Jacob’s early mistakes and sins…greed, treachery, revenge, and power.  In the end, those things only produce pain and regret, whether you wind up in jail, or residing in a mansion.  It’s all loss in Heaven’s record books.  The other, wiser choice is to season whatever you have learned with faith to do what the prophet Micah wrote:  do what is right, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.  Micah 6:8

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

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

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

 

Title Image:  via Wikimedia Commons 

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

---

[1] See John 18:10-11

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!

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

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^©  

---

[1] Isaiah 42:1-4

[2] Hebrews 9:22

 

When Power Makes You Nervous

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.  But whoever obeys the law is joyful.  Proverbs 29:18

I must admit that I have never understood the obsession underlying power.  Personally, it has always made me quite nervous to be in the company of those who wield the kind of strength of presidents, governors, and other influential positions.  Those who lead bear a considerable weight of responsibility for the well-being of others.  It is an inherently-unselfish calling.  The fly in the ointment of the democratic system of choosing leaders who are perceived as strong-enough to do well, is that politics is a magnet for the best and worst of motives.

In an article[1] reflecting on the state of world affairs, published earlier this year by Princeton University professor, Jonathan Gold, calling for (at a minimum) mandatory psychological testing of candidates for public office, Gold trotted out the elephant in the rebel room, concerning the two most powerful leaders who should never have been elected by sane people:

At the extreme end of the scale are the symptoms associated with anti-social personality disorder (ASPD), which ought to be out of bounds for an elected official but read to the untrained like a character description of Donald Trump or Vladimir Putin.

This devotional blog is not a blatant political tool, rather a purveyor of Godly advice from the Scriptures.  What Solomon said about God’s guidance as the life-giving need for any nation, is precisely what leaders Putin and Trump ignore, in favor of ascribing all knowledge and power to their own imaginations.  It is often quoted that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  And if that is true, it removes (by definition) any hope of governance without corruption; the lone exemption is the one, true, living God. 

For You Today  

If your children and grandchildren are the hope of the next generation of leaders for this world, better teach them by example to be humble and honor God.  Otherwise those who live in those generations and beyond are going to be bound to the same human foolishness of the current times, thinking we have all the answers, yet having no vision at all.

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

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,000 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

   Stubborn to the Bitter End and Without Vision Nations Crumble

Images:  Title Article - Don't Hand Power to Dangerous People   Images without citation are either personal property of the author, or in public domain.

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

---

[1] Don’t hand power to dangerous people (even when they really want it) — a modest Buddhist proposal

Hands Off!

 

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things.  And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me.  But he said, “No, don’t worship me.  I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!”  Then he instructed me, “Do not seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near.  Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy.”  “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”  Revelation 22:8-13

Much of what the angel said to John was prohibitive; it was hands-off!  We can easily understand the admonition to not-worship an angel.  God has told us He is the only One worthy of worship in the universe.  The other word of prohibition to John is about the words of prophecy in God’s book.  John is not to seal them up, because the time is ripe to allow it free access to all people.  But there is an unspoken (but implied) third prohibition, stated inversely.  The angel tells John to let the Word have it’s way with evil…and for John (and by extension all believers) to not compel others to do right, rather to let free will run its’ course.

This third injunction makes it clear that believers are missing the mark of compliance with God’s will when trying to coerce behavior.  In my lifetime the growth of government regulation has gone off the chart.  The latest wave is the wokeness generation’s compelling so-called righteous behavior.  If you don’t toe the line, you’re ghosted…exiled to the land of foolishness…a non-entity.

Marching against “wokeness” are some rather well-meaning, but ill-advised people, who want control of the government so they can correct all the nonsense.  You can see it in the push to assimilate political power in the name of righteousness.  You can see it in the infamous January 6^th invasion of the Capitol.  You can see it in the indignation of believers who want to punish wrongdoers severely, but can’t keep their own house in order.  Well-known and popular Christian leaders who couldn’t see past the glitter of power-grabbing, spearheaded the presidential campaigns in 2016 to gain control of the White House and Senate. 

There is a well-known saying, little heeded or even acknowledged these days, which offers the same kind of advice about all that, which the angel offered John:

When the church gets in bed with the government,

it isn’t the government that loses power.

The church’s real power is in prayer and the example of Christ, lovely, sacrificial, respect for all, with joy, unspeakable, and full of glory.[1] 

As the angel told John, God will do the judging and correcting soon.  The Alpha and Omega is better at it than any of us.  For now, hands-off the judge’s gavel.

For You Today  

It is a good thing to want to do something, instead of just standing by.  Today would be a good day to look around:  you’ll have no problem finding someone who is hurting for lack of food, clothing, a place to live, or a friend.  Then, do what’s natural for a child of the King…be a blessing.

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

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,000 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

       Morning Star   and   Overwhelmed

Images: Title image Pixabay.com Images without citation are either personal property of the author, or in public domain.

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

---

[1] 1 Peter 1:8

Top of Your Game - Game Over

Monday, September 5, 2022

Now then, you kings, act wisely!  Be warned, you rulers of the earth!  Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.  Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—for his anger flares up in an instant.  But what joy for all who take refuge in him!  Psalm 2:10-12

The despotic president/murderer of many, Saddam Hussein is long gone from the world’s political stage, having been chased from his leadership of Iraq into hiding, and eventually pulled from his hiding hole, tried, convicted, and executed by hanging.  He did not, as the Psalmist cautioned leaders to do, act wisely!  He had no fear of God.  He viewed himself as being in charge…and, for a brief nine years, his murderous regime seemed to be so; the collapse in 2003 once again reminded us all that every created thing is subject to God’s will.  No matter how high the Top of Your Game may be, God has set the Time of Your Game-Over, and there is nothing to top that!

The Psalmist set down for us all the means for a leader to be honorable and end well – to serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.  Whether you are president of the United States, or the elected dog catcher in the smallest of towns, there is always one to whom you report (besides the electorate or whatever checks and balances are in place), and that is He Who created us, and decides if we live or die.  In an age where personal sovereignty is worshipped, it would be prudent to remember God’s sovereignty is above all.

In a few years those under 20 will hardly recognize the name of Saddam Hussein, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, or any of the other newsmakers of the current time.  That is regrettable, as forgetting the mistakes of the past are surety of repeating them in the future. 

For You Today

Rather than gloat, or wail (over political outcomes, depending on whether or not you voted for those who fail or succeed), it is a better practice to reflect on our part in this process.  Just as it is incumbent on leaders to serve with reverent fear of God, it is the same reverent fear we who put others in office must serve.  We are tempted to opt-out of responsibility quickly in one of many ways:

·       I’m just one person; what could I have done

·       I voted for the other guy

·       His problem – I’ve got enough to worry about

Now, those may all be true to some degree, but one thing remains for the Christian believer:  Did I pray?  Did I honestly, fervently, and consistently lift up the leaders who make governing choices in my name?[1]

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

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,000 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

Advice for the Mighty and Now Then, You Kings, Act Wisely!

[1] Images:   Title Image from Video:       What if Sadaam Hussein Was Never Captured (YouTube)                                                         Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©  

---

[1] From:  Advice for the Mighty, Rocky Road Post from January 5, 2015

Real Strength

Thursday, August 4, 2022

What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.  The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race.  From his throne he observes all who live on the earth.  He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do.  The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.  Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—for all its strength, it cannot save you.  But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love.  He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine.  We put our hope in the Lord.  He is our help and our shield.  In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.  Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.  Psalm 33:12-22

The Psalmist makes me think of the absurdity of strength, the far-as-the-east-is-from-the-west difference between perceived strength and genuine strength.  Imagine a four-year-old child, angry at his father, swinging his fists wildly at Dad’s face.  He imagines he will do damage, but doesn’t have a strength that will sate his anger.  Consider the imagination of a little girl, dressed in her best WalMart princess costume.  What throne in all the world belongs to her strength, it’s all only in her mind.  Picture a young man, three days after graduating from college, dressed in a new suit he purchased with his new credit card, for the interview with a prospective employer.  His bank account is down to $1.84, but the bills from tuition to earn his degree weigh-in at $86,000.  There are two-outs in the 9^th inning, and he’s down to his last swing at the plate.  For all his “accomplishment” the strength of that moment is sitting on the other side of the interview table.

The genuine strength one possesses can never be measured, except in the relative position to absolute strength.  It is often said the President of the United States is the most powerful person on the planet.  But the powers of the office (which by far supercede the powers of the human being in that office) are only granted by the will of the people who elect presidents.  And even then, the checks and balances of our governance question that power. 

Genuine strength resides outside of time, space, and creation.  Ultimate strength belongs to God alone.  All else was, and is, subject to God’s creative will.  And the human, created person, confidently believing in his or her own supremacy, is about as hapless a fool as a gnat in a wrestling match with an elephant, no matter the perception of that person’s strength by other created beings.

For You Today

Is your hope in your dreams, your abilities, your determination, or even someone who you perceive champions your best interests?  Do you sense strength coming your way from that promotion, salary increase, or new nutritional regimen?  Have others told you how much they admire your accomplishments?

Remember He who created all of what you see, hear, sense, and imagine…and so much more.  His genuine strength is to be found in His unfailing love…for you!

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

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,000 devotional posts in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic explore some of these:  Total Trust and Misplaced Trust

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