June 8, Saturday

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“God Is a Jealous God”

Exodus 34:11-17 (NASB)

“Be sure to observe what I am commanding you this day: behold, I am going to drive out the Amorite before you, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. 12 Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. 13 But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim 14 —for you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God— 15 otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods. 17 You shall make for yourself no molten gods.”

We typically think of the word “jealous” with a negative connotation, because after all, didn’t God say, “You shall not covet?”—meaning, you shall not be jealous of your neighbor, but be content with what you have. Don’t you find it strange then that God refers to Himself as a Jealous God? Yet there is a difference between a righteous jealousy and an unrighteous jealousy. Righteous jealousy is one that is jealous for what actually belongs to you; whereas, unrighteous jealousy is one that is jealous (or envious) of what does not belong to you. For example, if I were jealous of my friend who just bought a brand new car, that would be an unrighteous jealousy. And unrighteous jealousy breeds discontentment—and discontentment can spiral into all kinds of problems.   

An example of righteous jealousy that I read says this: If another man comes up to my wife and flirts with her, I would clearly be jealous. I would be righteous in my jealousy because my wife and I are committed to one another. She belongs to me and I belong to her. Can you imagine if I were completely okay with it and just let it happen without stepping in? It would actually be a bit absurd if I were not jealous at all.

God is jealous for the people of Israel because He calls them His people—meaning, they have entered into a covenant relationship with Him. As much as His people belong to Him, He is committing Himself to them and saying that He belongs to them. We see this theme throughout the Bible – God’s jealousy for His people. God doesn’t want His people entering into covenants with other gods. He warns them again and again not to whore after other gods in the land that they are about to enter, but this is exactly what Israel does.

When you look at the history of Israel, it’s actually pretty sad. God spends the majority of the exodus years trying to convince His people of His love for them and make them into a holy nation.  But shortly after they enter the Promised Land, they turn quickly to idols; and for hundreds of years they do exactly what God tells them not to do. In fact, if you look at the history of Israel, only small portions of their existence as a nation are spent on being faithful unto God. For the most part, they are unfaithful, constantly giving themselves to idol worship. It culminates with Solomon building a temple for the LORD, but immediately filling this temple with idols from all ends of the earth for political expediency.

Though many of us may no longer have idols made out of wood or stone, we have many idols of the heart that we need to address. There are many altars and sacred pillars in our lives that God is instructing us to smash and destroy. Could it be that as you are moving forward in life, there are dangerous idols that must be destroyed so that you could remain faithful unto God? Maybe you are graduating college, and the idols of money and recognition are at the doorstep. Or you are about to get married, and the idols of your spouse and future children are ones that God wants you to give to Him. Maybe you are considering transitions in life and the idol of “your plans” is what God wants you to release to Him. Whatever may be an idol of your heart, remember that God is jealous—He’s jealous because He loves you with a passion and you belong to Him. He asks you to destroy these idols before they destroy you. Let’s never forget that our God is a jealous God, who is rightly jealous for us!

Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your love for me, and that You are jealous for me and for my heart. As much as I want to love You with all of my heart, it is difficult, because there are so many temptations and possible idols every corner I turn. But Lord, help me to destroy these snares, so that I may rightly love You as you have passionately love me. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 30-31

June 7, Friday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“The Character of God”

Exodus 34:6-7 (NASB)

Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

God’s loving kindness and mercy and compassion is on display here. If you recall where we are in this story, Moses has returned to Mount Sinai to renew the covenant on behalf of Israel. Israel had broken their covenant with the Lord by worshipping a golden calf, for which three thousand are killed that day. Where is the mercy of God? Where is the compassionate and gracious God who is slow to anger? First of all, we need to understand that God has already been incredibly slow to anger toward the Israelites. Even though God has shown Himself again and again by rescuing His people out of Egypt through signs and wonders and pledged Himself to them, they committed spiritual adultery by worshiping a golden calf, a god made from their own hands.

Secondly, it’s important to understand what God is saying here, because it can be easy to see His statements as contradictory when read the wrong way. Yes, He does show loving kindness, forgiveness, and grace, but only for those that will repent and turn back to Him. In Exodus 32, Moses cries out “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me!” The sons of Levi gather to him and they are spared from the wrath of God. This is a picture of God’s call to us – whoever is for the LORD, must return to Him and receive His forgiveness, His compassion, His loving kindness. However, God will not leave the guilty unpunished, and He will punish the sins of those that remain unrepentant, even to the third and fourth generation. Does this sound familiar? The first time God makes a covenant with the people of God (in Exodus 20), He tells them not to make any idols, because God is a jealous God who visits the iniquity of the fathers on their children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Him.

As much as God is Love, Mercy, Compassion, Forgiveness, God is Just. His justice and wrath will come upon those who hate Him, and it makes sense for Him to do so. Because God is love, He must hate sin, and He must punish and wipe away that sin. May this be a reminder for us – to hate sin as our God hates sin, and to turn to Him, knowing that when we do, He will shower his forgiveness and mercy upon us. Do not take His grace and mercy as a license for sin and rebellion. Rather, love Him because of His incredible love for you.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for your love and compassion. Thank you for your forgiveness and mercy. Soften my heart so that I may walk in the path of your forgiveness–that I may know the fullness of your love and compassion and be a recipient of your blessing. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.          

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 29

Lunch Break Study

Read Hebrews 12:7-11 (ESV): Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Question to Consider

  1. What does this passage list as the importance of discipline?
  2. What is the fruit of discipline?
  3. What are ways you are currently experiencing the discipline of God?

Notes

  1. Discipline is for all who are considered children of God. When discipline occurs, it reminds the one that is being disciplined that they are His legitimate children. Sometimes, we don’t care for the discipline, nor do we understand the reason, but we submit to the Father who disciplines for our good.  
  2. Discipline produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Those that have been disciplined and have experienced the fruit of discipline are not as allergic to the thought of further discipline, for they know that there is more fruit to come out of the discipline.
  3. Personal Response.

Evening Reflection

Sometimes the discipline of God can feel like the judgment of God coming down on us. However, we know that as children of God, we have been shown mercy and compassion. Even though we mess up and turn away from Him, we know that He disciplines us so that we will be restored to Him. However, as we learn today, the judgment of God will come upon those who continually choose to turn away from Him and reject His forgiveness and mercy.

June 6, Thursday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“The Glory of God”

Exodus 33:21-23 (NASB)

Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; 22 and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”

Glory is something that is very difficult to describe. Whenever I play basketball with people who are older and out of shape, we like to talk fondly about their “glory days” when we used to be able to run around, dunk and do all sorts of things that we can no longer do. But now, we need to stretch just to make sure we don’t pull a muscle. When we think of our “glory days,” we think of the peak of our human existence, when we felt like we were on the top of the world. Depending on how old you are, you will typically see yourself as either approaching the apex of your life or coming down from the apex of your life. Whether it be our physical attributes, our beauty, our careers, our energy level, we know that there is a peak in our existence that doesn’t last forever – which is why those that have passed it always refer back to the “glory days.” We have trouble defining glory because it is so hard to grasp – human glory is fleeting.

But the glory of God is different in that it is constant throughout the ages. There is no waning of His glory. It is not defined by time or space. So how do we define the glory of God? In many different passages, it says that “the whole earth is full of his glory.” Perhaps a synonym to that would be beauty. The whole earth is full of his beauty. I think of my days in San Diego when I used to sit on the Cliffs in La Jolla and look at the vastness of the ocean, thinking of the greatness of God and the beauty that fills the whole earth. Creation is full of the glory of God – and we know that feeling when we encounter something that takes our breath away.

In this passage, it tells us that the glory of God was too much for Moses to comprehend. Moses found favor in the sight of God and God honors his request to see the glory of God. But the caveat is this: Moses can only see the backside of God because seeing God face to face would be too much for Moses. For Moses, there was absolutely no reference point as to what the fullness of the glory of God would look like, and it seems to be impossible to comprehend for any human being.

John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” As much as Moses longed to see the glory of God, he was not able to behold it. But we live in a time where we have not only seen the glory of God through Jesus Christ, we have the glorious Holy Spirit living within us. How does it make you feel to know that by knowing Jesus, you have known the glory of God that was too much for Moses to comprehend? May we not take for granted this glory that has been revealed to us. As you start your day, let me encourage you to pause and take a moment to reflect upon the glory of God that has been revealed to you – and let that prepare you for the day to come.

Prayer: Father God, everywhere I look, I want to be reminded of Your glory. But more than Your glory that is mirrored in creation, help me to see the fullness of Your glory. Help me to understand the gravity of the glorious Holy Spirit dwelling in me. May my life then become a reflection of that glory. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 28

Lunch Break Study

Read John 1:14-18 (ESV): And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Question to Consider

  1. What do you think the “dwelling among us” means?
  2. What is the difference between the glory that Jesus embodies from the glory that Moses was able to see?
  3. How can you be more cognizant of the glory of God?

Notes

  1. The word that could be used here is “tabernacle,” as in, the Word became flesh and tabernacle among us. In the time when Israel was in the wilderness, they pitched a tent in the middle of an encampment where God would dwell with them. This was different from the gods of the past who were distant and far away, but God’s very presence was in their midst. Jesus and the fullness of His glory was described to have come into our very midst for the purpose of dwelling with us.  
  2. John talks about the glory that we have seen in the manifestation of the Word of God through the flesh of Jesus Christ. Jesus, as the Son of the Father, was the fullness of the Father. At the time, sons were an extension of their father. Therefore, Jesus was not just a representative sent from the Father, but the fullness of the Father coming to them. God made himself known as a visible manifestation to explain the invisible God through Jesus Christ.  
  3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Read this Psalm from David and spend a moment reflecting on God’s glory:

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moons and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”  (Psalm 8:1-4).

June 5, Wednesday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Importance of His Presence”

Exodus 33:15-16 (NASB)

Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. 16 For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?”

When my daughter started walking, the most endearing thing to me was when she would turn to me, reach out her hand and say, “Hold hand.” Even when we walked to the playground, she didn’t need me to hold her hand. In fact, since the playground was so fun and exciting for her, I wouldn’t blame her for running to the playground leaving me behind— yet, she would rather walk slowly with me. Though I don’t quite know why she does it, but every time she does my heart just melts. I think this is a prime example of Moses’ response to God. If you remember from Monday, God had gotten so tired of the stubbornness of Israel that He told them to go on into the Promised Land, but under one caveat: He wouldn’t enter there with them—they were on their own. Moses responds by turning to God and saying “Hold our hand.” Essentially, Moses is saying that they will not go unless He goes. He realizes that it’s not worth going if God’s presence does not go with them.

Moses desired the presence of God more than His blessings. So often we get that mixed up, wanting the blessings of God and not necessarily the presence of God. But do you know how much God’s heart is moved when you actually desire His presence? Do you know how much joy God feels when you reach out your hand towards Him and say, “Hold hand?” We must be people who desire His presence over just His blessings.

However, not only did God’s presence represent His continual favor over them, but it also represented the protection of God. If you recall, the nation of Israel was still in the embryonic phases of becoming a nation, and they were very vulnerable to the attacks of the superpowers in the Ancient Near East. Many nations were fearful of Israel because of what they had heard of the exodus of the Israelites from the land of Egypt. Without the presence of God, Moses knew they would be sitting ducks if they were to engage in any warfare. We too must not underestimate the protection of God in our lives. When we are in the presence of God, we are protected from so many things, even things that we are unaware of.

As we spend time reflecting on the presence of God, may our hearts resonate with Moses’ heart – that we would desire His presence above all else. It’s not just His provision, blessing, or even protection that we are after—ultimately, it’s Him that we desire. Let’s orient ourselves to desire Him above all else.

Prayer: Father God, Your presence is more important to me than Your blessing. Sometimes I don’t feel that way, but I know that is the truth. Help me to believe in that truth even more, and to earnestly desire Your presence above all things. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 27

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 27:4 (ESV):  “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”

Question to Consider

  1. What is the context of this Psalm?
  2. What does David focus on in this Psalm?
  3. How does this psalm resonate with your prayers for His presence?

Notes

  1. This was a Psalm of David, most likely in a time of trouble, and yet the tone is one of confidence in the presence of God as well as a desire to be in His presence.
  2. Most likely, David was on the run, fleeing from the many people that were against him in his lifetime – and yet, his focus was on the presence of God. Twice he references the house of the Lord (which actually had not yet been constructed), but the essence of his request was one of deep desire to be in the presence of God.
  3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Take a moment to take an inventory of your heart. Are there things in your heart that you value more than the presence of God? Oftentimes, we associate the blessings of God with God Himself, and although there is nothing wrong with blessings, it becomes an issue when we have it backwards. We must learn to desire the presence of God over the blessings of God. Let’s be people who want the gift-giver more than the gift itself.

June 4, Tuesday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Friend of God”

Exodus 33:9-11 (NASB)

Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the Lord would speak with Moses.10 When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. 11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

The gods of the Ancient Near East were unpredictable. The people would offer sacrifices to these deities to appease them or please them and invoke some type of blessing upon them. But these gods were mysterious in nature and the people often did not know their standing before these gods: Were the gods pleased with them or were they angry at them? They wouldn’t know what was asked of them, and these gods could seem very distant from them. Yet when we look at the God of the Israelites, we see how different the relationship between God and His people is compared with the gods of the Ancient Near East. God was not unpredictable. Each time Moses entered into the Tent of Meeting, God would be there to speak with Moses. God was not distant. He did not have to speak to Moses remotely or through another medium, but He would be there to speak to Moses face to face.

In verse 11, it says that the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. There was an intimacy that Moses experienced with the God of this universe. Often times, I think to myself how amazing it would have been to be in Moses’ shoes. He got to encounter the living God face to face. He got to see the glory of God. But the truth is, Moses would have been so jealous of the position that we are in—what he saw in part, we now see in fullness. He was only permitted to see part of the glory of God, whereas we have the fullness of the glory of God dwelling inside of us. I often forget that the Holy Spirit dwells within me. This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday – it’s a reminder that the Holy Spirit has come down upon His people to dwell in their midst. It’s a reminder that we are baptized by the Holy Spirit and the fullness of His glory.

Do you truly believe that this glory resides in you? My prayer is that you would not live another day believing the lie that God is far away, hard to predict, or hard to appease. Rather, believe that if you have confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior, you have to right to become a child of God. And as a child of God, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you.

Prayer: Father, I often forget the glorious truth that Your glory and Your very Spirit resides within me. Help me never to forget that. Help me to live a life that reflects that reality – that I don’t have to go through intermediary means, but that I have direct access to You. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for what Jesus did on that cross so that we would be able to be filled with the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 26

Lunch Break Study

Read John 1:29-34 (ESV): “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son[i] of God.”

Question to Consider

  1. What does John the Baptist say about Jesus?
  2. What does Jesus being the baptizer of the Spirit mean for us?
  3. Have you asked for the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Notes

  1. John the Baptist prophetically declares that Jesus would be the ultimate Passover lamb of God, who would come to take away the sins of the world, but he also goes on to declare that Jesus would be the baptizer of the Spirit.
  2. We often focus on the fact that Jesus is the Passover Lamb—and He definitely is that—but He is more than that. He is the one who has baptized us with the Holy Spirit so that we have the glorious presence of Holy Spirit in our lives. While the cross and the atonement of our sins is important, we also need to remember that Jesus came not just to die for the sins of the world, but to give us His very Spirit—something that has been restored to us since before the fall of man.
  3. In Acts 19, Paul asks some new converts whether they received the Holy Spirit when they believed, but they did not even know of this baptism.  We must know that when we come to know Jesus, we not only go through water baptism as an outward manifestation of an inward transformation, but we also must receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit – the one who will help us to walk out our faith with power and victory.

Evening Reflection

Baptism of the Holy Spirit is something that every believer receives when they become part of the family of God (through confession and repentance). But the filling of the Holy Spirit, however, is something that we need to ask for – because we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can overcome and be victorious in our life. Tonight, ask that the Holy Spirit would fill you in every aspect of your life, so that you would be able to live this life in power and victory.

June 3, Monday

The AMI Devotional Blogs from June 3-8 are written by Phillip Chen, college pastor at Church of Southland. Philip, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, completed his Master of Divinity program at Talbot School of Theology this past spring.  More importantly, he and his wife Esther recently became brand new parents—congratulations! May God richly bless this family.

 

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“God Keeps His Promises”

Exodus 33:1-3 (NASB)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ 2 I will send an angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, and I might destroy you on the way.”

Have you ever had to work with people who were a pain in the neck? Multiply that a thousand and you have the Israelites. The Israelites were an incredibly hard group of people to lead. In fact, they were called an obstinate people. The definition of obstinate, according to the dictionary, is to be “stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so.” God had shown them miracle after miracle, mercy after mercy, direction after direction, and they were still so stubbornly stuck in their rebellious ways.

Before we look down upon the Israelites and their attitude towards God, we need to ask ourselves: Are we that much better? Do we not have our stubborn moments where we refuse to bend to the leading of God, sometimes to the point where something has to break in order for us to start paying attention to Him? Aren’t we also at times so stuck in our ways that we don’t even recognize God’s promptings to change direction? This may be an indictment against Israel, but it definitely speaks to me as well.

But while this passage is intended to show God’s anger against Israel and His plan to send them away without His presence, what I am amazed by is the overwhelming faithfulness of God. He vows to fulfill the promise that wasn’t even directly given to the Israelites. This promise was given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and yet He chooses to honor it, even though the Israelites have broken covenant with God so many times. God has every right to forsake His covenant with His people, but He chooses not to. He will still honor His covenant to bring the Israelites into the Promised Land.

When I first became a believer, I made promises to God that I would love Him forever, that I would always seek His face and desire Him above all things. As I’m older now, I don’t make those promises as quickly. Rather, I ask God for His grace to enable me to honor Him in the way I should. I know that I will break those promises and grieve the heart of God, but I am confident in this: God is faithful and full of mercy. God knew from the beginning that we would not be able to uphold our end of the bargain, and thus He has made a way, through Jesus Christ, to once and for all bring us into the promised land of His presence.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your faithfulness. I know that there are so many times in my life that I act stubbornly and resist Your perfect leadership. I recognize my rebellion and I ask for Your mercy to submit to Your lordship. Help me to trust in Your goodness and trust in Your faithfulness. Thank You for Your patience and Your loving kindness towards me. In Jesus’ Name I pray.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 25

Lunch Break Study

Read Numbers 23:19 (NASB):  God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Question to Consider

  1. What does this verse tell us about the character of God?
  2. Is this particular attribute of God (trustworthiness/faithfulness) something that you believe about God?

Notes

  1. God’s character is different than that of humans. Even though He is often described with human features, He is entirely different than us. This verse tells us that particularly in trustworthiness, God is not to be doubted – what He says will happen will happen and what He does cannot be disputed because He cannot betray His character.  
  2. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Are there areas of your life that you are particularly stubborn in? Sometimes those areas are our biggest blind spots. We don’t even think that these areas need change or bend to the will of God. But perhaps God is highlighting something to you through discipline or circumstance. Humble yourself before God and ask Him for His perfect leadership.

June 2, Sunday

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Forgiveness”

Exodus 32:21-24

And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

When ministering to people, I am often reminded of two things: how easily we can hurt others and the importance of forgiveness. As I often counsel people through their past hurts or frustrations, I am reminded of how I am dealing with my own issues—whether it be asking for forgiveness or forgiving others. This causes me to make sure that I am first heeding the wisdom of God as I am helping others. It’s often said in our church that there’s nothing that will hinder our relationship with God like unforgiveness.

In today’s passage, we see Moses confronting Aaron regarding the golden calf and the role he played in it. Aaron’s response in v. 24 is quite dissatisfactory: “So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

What we actually read in the account is quite different. Aaron (or perhaps someone under Aaron’s direction) fashioned with a graving tool the golden calf (32:4). This is very different from what Aaron tells Moses—that in went the gold and out came the calf. It’s unsatisfactory because it doesn’t seem like Aaron is owning up to his mistakes; there is a passivity to Aaron’s response.

And the narrative just carries on. We see Moses purifying Israel as those who rebelled are put to death, but we know Aaron is spared. The priestly garments are made according to God’s instructions and given to Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. There is no account of resolution or even full acceptance by Aaron. Despite his disobedience, God showed mercy on Aaron and continued to use him.

For Moses, I imagine he had to deal with this. He had to continue to serve beside someone who betrayed his trust. And this greatly challenges me when I consider those that I struggle with or people who have wronged me in the past. We are called to forgive, just as God has forgiven them and has forgiven us.

Brothers and sisters, the truth is that if we do not forgive those whom God has forgiven, it is no longer their wrongdoing, but it is our sin before God.

It’s not easy. Often, we commit in our heads but have to keep fighting for our hearts to catch up. Forgiving others is impossible without the Holy Spirit. Therefore, our first step must be to pray. Pray for ourselves. Pray for the other person. Deuteronomy 9:20 shows us that even Moses prayed for Aaron: “And the Lord was so angry with Aaron that he was ready to destroy him. And I prayed for Aaron also at the same time.”

Only when we invite the Holy Spirit to fight on our behalf so that we can forgive, can we experience breakthrough. On this day, as you go to worship (or perhaps you’ve already returned from worship), may our unwillingness to forgive never hinder us from offering acceptable worship before God. It is the touch of God that we need more than anything that empowers us to forgive.

Brothers and sisters, let us forgive one another as we have been forgiven.

Prayer: Father, we thank You for the incredible weapon, which is forgiveness; this powerful weapon that can cut the ties of the enemy and bring about healing to our relationships. But You know the weakness of our flesh, that we cannot do it without You. So we ask for the Holy Spirit to come and change our hearts. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1Samuel 24

June 1, Saturday

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“God is Faithful to Himself”

Exodus 32:11-14

But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

A joke we used to toss around in youth group was this: “Can God microwave a burrito so hot that He Himself could not eat it?” This question was answered by an incredibly wise teacher: “No, God doesn’t do anything stupid like that.” But even within this child’s play, there is a deep theological truth we must grasp: God always acts according to His perfect character. God is always faithful to Himself.

We see an interesting exchange between Moses and God. We first must recognize that God has every right to be angry at the situation – the people He had saved were now worshipping a manmade idol whom they claimed rescued them from Egypt. Now, this isn’t a surface level, teenager worried about His “rep” kind of response from God. There is a deeper importance to God’s zeal for His own Name.

It is about His character. God is always true to Himself. He is above all true to His glory. God’s faithfulness to Himself is the only thing that is holding the world together. This is the glory and grace of God. And the reality is that only when God is true to His glory can there be incredible grace and mercy that trickles down to us.

We know that the only reason why Israel is God’s people is because God chose them. It wasn’t because of their impressive stature. And in Moses intercession, he brings to remembrance (not that God forgets) the covenant that God had made with these people. The promise of blessing to not only Israel, but to all the nations. And this was to be fulfilled not because the people were capable of good, but because God is faithful.

Two things that we see here at play: (1) What is best for mankind is that God is always true to Himself. There are a lot of people out there who think that they understand what is best for the world, even if that means God going against His nature. But the truth is, no matter how unfair or unjust things may seem in our eyes, what is best for all of creation is that God remains faithful to Himself. And here we see the incredible mercy of God that results from God’s faithfulness to Himself as a covenant-keeping God.

(2) The power of prayer. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, said this: “God does nothing except in response to believing prayer.” It describes the reality in which we live where God responds to the intercessions of His people. More specifically, God responds to the prayers of His people who pray according to His will. And there is an incredible power and excitement when we come to pray the things of God’s heart. And just as one man Moses was able to assuage God’s wrath, we too have the ability to intercede on behalf of people who are in incredible duress, suffering, or even disobedience.

Brothers and sisters, let us continue to give Him no rest (Isa 62.6-7) to intercede on behalf of those who do not have a loving relationship with the Father. Although they may be living in disobedience, it is the Father’s heart that they return to Him.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You are, above all else, faithful to Yourself. For in Your faithfulness to Yourself, do I find grace, mercy, and eternal peace. As I learn and walk deeper in Your ways, help me to pray the things of Your heart, bringing to Your remembrance those who are in need of Your mercy. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 22-23

May 31, Friday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“When God Delays”

Exodus 32:11

Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

My experience in ministry has mostly been with college students and young adults/singles, which often lends itself to conversations on dating. The question of “Will I find the right person?” can come off as a lighthearted, rhetorical question, cringing at “the game.” Other times, this question evokes deep seated fear and anxiety. People pray, waiting upon God. But they often wonder if they need to start taking action on their own.

In today’s passage, we see the Israelites growing tired and even anxious about waiting for Moses’ return. Not to say that taking action, whether in dating or any situation in life, is bad, but when we begin to take things into our own control, we often find ourselves in opposition to God.

Moses as a prophet was God’s representative to the people. The people could only understand the voice of God through Moses. So his delay from the mountain was not just a missing man, but it was the absence of God for the Israelites. Rather than waiting in this vast desert, aimlessly waiting for a man who for all they knew could be dead, they took matters into their own hands. And what resulted was an egregious act of defiance that became the iconic picture of sin.

The Bible repeatedly calls us to wait patiently upon the Lord. But in reality, all of us can think of times where waiting feels unproductive. We justify our actions through pseudo-religious principles, choosing what we think is best. The result is an object of worship of our own making, an altar dedicated to something not worthy of our lives.

What we must understand is that this is more than what we do. It is about what we are professing through our actions. In other words, our actions reflect our understanding of God. In verse 4, after the golden calf is made, Aaron proclaims, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” We see how twisted and misrepresented God becomes in our minds. The work of our own hands receives the credit for the blessings of our lives.

This iconic story serves as a warning to us, not just about the dangers of idolatry, but more so, concerning the times we grow impatient and act on our own accord. It is in these moments that we must remind ourselves who it is that actually delivered us from our spiritual Egypt. We must remind ourselves of the unchanging character of God—God who has loved us with an everlasting love. And when theology that we profess aligns to that of God’s true character, we are then in a place where we can hear His voice and act accordingly.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for taking over the direction of my life whenever I become impatient over the “deliberate speed” in which You guide my life.  Help me, once again, to trust You and Your plan for my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 21

Lunch Break Study  

Read 1 Samuel 13:8-13a: [Saul] waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. 11 Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, 12 I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” 13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you.

Questions to Consider

  1. Take some time to decipher what exactly is going on in the passage (you may need to skim through the rest whole section to understand the context). What exactly is happening?
  2. What did Saul do wrong? What does this reveal about who Saul was or what was going on through his mind? What does it reveal about his understanding of God?
  3. It’s easy for us to look at passages and in hindsight, see things very black and white. But try to understand the kind of pressures that were surrounding Saul. In what ways might you be tempted to take things into your own hands?

Notes

  1. This is early in Saul’s reign over Israel (2 years, [1]). Jonathan, Saul’s son, attacked the Philistines in Geba [3], and now the Philistines were coming to retaliate [5]. Seeing the approaching Philistines, Israel became afraid and started to scatter, hiding away in caves… and pits [6]. Saul was waiting for Samuel to come to intercede on behalf of Israel; however, when Samuel is delayed, Saul takes things into his own hands and offers a burnt offering himself [9]. Samuel comes as soon as Saul finishes, rebuking Saul for his actions and the pending punishment that is to come because of Saul’s disobedience.
  2. Saul disobeyed God’s commands on who is to present offering that is acceptable before Him. A few things we can gather: (1) Saul thought the offering was more important than obeying God’s instructions; this is typical of someone who practices religion over relationship with God – the act of worship is more important than the heart of worship; (2) Saul was afraid because the people were scattering and needed to take control of the situation; (3) perhaps Saul looked to God as more of a “lucky charm” than One who was to be revered and worshipped.
  3. Personal response. More than we realize, we might have more “Saul-like” tendencies than we’d like to think.

Evening Reflection

Is there anything you are waiting on the Lord? Take a moment to remind yourself who God is, especially in light of the passages that we spent time in today. Spend some time in prayer, sharing your honest struggle with waiting; yet confess your faith in who God is.

May 30, Thursday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Rhythm of Life”

Exodus 31:17

“It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.”

A major part of my life was spent in the pool. Elementary, junior high, high school, and even one year of college, I swam competitively and played water polo, and the people on my swim team were some of my closest friends. You could say, swimming was life for me. But swimming is also a source of one of my regrets in life.

There is a part of me that believes that I could have30 given more—you know that thought in your mind where you’re really trying but at the same time, you know you’re still holding back a little bit. Whether it be fear or what not, you know there is something holding you back. And I finished my swimming career with that thought lingering in my head, that I could have pushed a little harder, achieved a faster time or accomplished more. This caused me to vow that I wouldn’t make the same mistake in life.

I think I carried some of that mentality into ministry—the idea that if you give more, more will result from it, the more input will result in more output. But I soon discovered as God begin to work through my heart, addressing the insecurities and fears, that ministry—let alone life— doesn’t work that way. Yes, we are called to be diligent, but there is no formula or mechanism that guarantees success.

In today’s passage, we see how the idea of the Sabbath is deeply rooted in the Divine life. A commentator notes that just as God created for six days, resting on the seventh, there is a rhythm to life that is exemplified by God. As we know from the creation account, the work is not fully done—God invites Adam to join Him in the work of naming all the creatures (Genesis 2:20). And yet God sets the seventh day apart for rest.

I think the greater spiritual lesson we can draw from this is not just the importance of keeping the Sabbath holy through rest and worship, but it is a reminder that our lives are meant to become more in sync with God. Just as a musician doesn’t make more or better music by increasing the tempo, we too must remember that in God’s Kingdom, success does not work that way. We are never meant to get in front of God or fall too far behind.

In the Sabbath is a beautiful picture of God and His people, moving through life in synchrony. It is a paradigm shift where the abundant life is not about achieving more but being rooted and in sync with He who is life.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You know us so well. You know our tendencies to want to move ahead of You or behind You. We want to live according to the beat of our own drum. But thank You for the reminder that true abundant life comes from a life that is in sync with You. Help us to live like this. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Samuel 20

Lunch Break Study  

Read Matthew 11:25-30: At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Questions to Consider

  1. Before He gets to the section on what our relationship looks like with Him, what does Jesus first establish in verses 25-27? How does this become an anchor to what He teaches us in the remainder of the passage?
  2. If you’ve never seen what a yoke is, take some time to look on Google. Seeing how a yoke works, what insights can you draw upon how this is to be a picture of our relationship with God, especially in light of our reflection today?
    How is your co-laboring with Christ? Are you experiencing the kind of rest Jesus promises? What should your response be?

Notes

  1. Before Jesus offers this relationship with us, He reiterates His relationships with the Father and to whom these things have been revealed. It also establishes Jesus’ authority as all things have been handed to Him. This thus becomes the foundation upon Jesus’ offer of rest to us is established.
  2. One of the insights we can draw upon the imagery used by Jesus is about pace. As a yoke ties two animals together to work together in tilling the field, one animal cannot move in front or fall back behind the other animal without the yoke becoming ineffective. The lightness and restfulness of being yoked with Christ comes with not only learning from Him, but walking in the pace that He establishes for us.
  3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

As you close off another day, take a moment to “take your pulse.” How is your sense of rest? How might this be a reflection in terms of living according to God’s pace of life? As you reflect, lift up a prayer to the Lord asking Him to help you in calibrating your life to His.